Posted in [News from Mike], [Recent Posts]

State Representative Mike Villarreal

Texas House of Representatives

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                             

January 27, 2012

Contact: Peter Clark                                              

Phone:   512-463-0532 (o), 512-417-9262 (c)

Email:     Peter.Clark@house.state.tx.us

Following State Budget Cuts, UTSA Proposes Tuition Hike

San Antonio -  The University of Texas at San Antonio is seeking to increase undergraduate tuition for fulltime in-state students from the current $2,891 per semester to $3,004 this fall and $3,121 in the fall of 2013. The proposed tuition hike, which was first reported in UTSA's student newspaper El Paisano, will be considered for approval during a meeting of the UT System Board of Regents later this year.  If approved, a student starting at UTSA this fall and finishing in four years would pay a total $1,606 more by graduation.

Last year Governor Perry and the Republican legislature reduced UTSA's state funding from $281 million for FY 2010-2011 to $260 million for FY 2012-2013 despite the university's growing student population. During the last session the legislature passed an additional $12 million cut for UTSA in a "supplemental" budget bill.

"The tuition hike is going to set back students and families who are already struggling to pay for school, but they need to know this a consequence of Governor Perry and the Republican-controlled state legislature deciding to slash funding for education instead of investing in students," said State Rep. Mike Villarreal, who voted against the state budget cuts for education. "Now that universities have made their own budget cuts they have little choice but to raise tuition if they want to maintain a quality education for their students. If Texans believe our young people deserve better, they need to tell legislators they want the state to invest in our schools and pursue a vision of Texas that includes educated children prepared for the future." 

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