UNLV student vote approaches on tuition hike plan

Alicia Schanilec and Edward Hauth, Special to the Sun

Tuesday, March 30, 2010 | 4:43 p.m.

Debate is heating up on UNLV’s campus as students get ready to vote on a proposed tuition hike.

UNLV’s student government overwhelming passed a measure March 22 to allow students to vote on a $2.47 per credit tuition increase. The resultant revenue increase for the university would total near $1 million annually and could save programs on campus.

CSUN Student Body President Adam Cronis said he is pleased that students have the opportunity to become part of a solution to the budget shortfall that UNLV faces.

“UNLV and the surrounding Las Vegas community have faced enormous economic challenges over the last 16 months. For UNLV, these challenges have amounted to ongoing budget reductions amounting to 15.4 percent last year and an additional 6.9 percent for the current year,” Cronis said. “While Nevada’s colleges and universities have sought to find ways of accommodating these budget cut numbers, students have been looked to as being an important part of the solution.”

Some students are concerned that a tuition increase could make paying for college more difficult for students. CSUN Senator Laura Guidry said the overall cost to students would exceed $300 during their undergraduate work, which could be a burden for students working their way through school.

The measure’s author, Director of Nevada Student Affairs David Rapoport, said the potential for good outweighs the bad.

“Rather than having to find another area or couple areas to cut that million dollars from, it’s going to hopefully save some jobs and programs,” he said.

It’s now up to UNLV’s student body to decide if the tuition increase is the right move. Students will be able to vote online April 6 and 7 at registrar.unlv.edu.