As state tax collections continue to decline, the University System of Georgia Board of Regents approved plans at its Nov. 17 meeting to adjust the system’s budget from a 6 percent reduction ($135 million) to an 8 percent reduction level ($176 million) for the current 2010 fiscal year. The board’s actions call for new reductions to the system’s 35 public colleges and universities as well as implementing an additional mandatory student fee.
The increase in the mandatory fee for all USG students, which will be effective for the upcoming spring 2010 semester, has been set at $100 at research universities and six other universities (which includes UGA), $75 at most comprehensive universities and $50 at two-year and state colleges.
The increase will be added to the current mandatory fee, which went into effect in January 2009. The total new mandatory fee will be $200, $150 or $100.
In addition to the fee, the board approved a moratorium on student fee increases for fiscal year 2011 and a sunset date of June 30, 2012, for the total mandatory student fee increase. The lone exception to the moratorium will be fees for public/private venture projects.
“UGA administrators continue to monitor the very fluid state budget situation,” said Tom Jackson, vice president for public affairs at UGA. “The increased student fee, additional faculty and staff position vacancies through attrition and other efficiencies and redirections internally have allowed us to avoid layoffs thus far, but the situation is critically tight.”
