UNLV starts more expensive year

Jennifer Knight

Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2003 | 10:23 a.m.

About 27,000 UNLV students started classes on Monday with lighter wallets and a longer list of class offerings.

New student fees and a tuition increase kicked in this semester. Officials say the new fees will help the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, defray the rising cost of higher education.

A budget approved by the Legislature over the summer allowed the university additional funds to add 175 new class sections.

"I would estimate the amount of classes we're offering puts us where we were before we had to take (budget) cuts last year," Barbara Cloud, UNLV's associate provost for academic affairs, said. "I doubt if we have moved ahead very much."

UNLV's budget was cut 3 percent last year, resulting in fewer classes that were more crowded. The cuts were followed by a 9 percent increase in tuition along with hikes in the cost of on-campus housing and meals, parking and student health fees.

Very few students who live off campus said they noticed the increases, but those living in dormitories were especially hard hit this semester, as the cost of living on campus jumped nearly $500 a semester.

Dorm and food fees range from $3,646 to $3,917 per semester, depending on the number of meals.

"The cost of living in the dorm is really high," said Chelsey Yoshimura, 20, a junior special education major living in the Tonopah dormitory. "My parents weren't happy about that."

A more subtle change this semester was the addition of 4,500 new class seats, making registration a little easier, UNLV officials said.

"They said it would be hard to get into classes because they filled up fast, but I had no problem getting in," said Latrese Johnson, an 18-year-old pre-medicine freshman who registered last week.

Another student had a similar experience.

"I got into everything I wanted; the (classes) are just spaced far apart," said Genevieve Connel, 20, a junior majoring in elementary education.

But others came across some glitches.

"I just got kicked out of a class because there was nobody to teach it," said Heather Stringer, 20, a junior majoring in English.

Cloud said most of the classes that were added were lower division courses aimed at the large group of freshmen that enrolled this semester.

Beginning level courses in math, English and communications made up for the most additions.

Lisa DeLeon, 22, a junior communications major, said that many on campus have been commenting on the large group of freshmen at UNLV this year.

"It seems this year, like whoa, there are so many," DeLeon said. "It's a great day to be a student. There's a good energy here."

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