Citizen Staff Writer
RENÉE SCHAFER HORTON
rshorton@tucsoncitizen.com
Full-time, in-state students at Pima Community College will pay $60 more next year, following a 4-1 vote by the college district’s governing board to raise tuition by $2 per credit hour.
Pima defines a full-time student as one carrying 15 hours per semester. However, charges are levied per credit hour, so students taking more than 30 hours a year would face more than the $60 increase.
Board member Richard Fimbres was the lone opposing vote, and he left after the meeting without speaking to fellow board members.
In the parking lot, Fimbres said he voted his conscience in opposing the increase, which represents a 3.7 percent change from this year’s annual full-time in-state tuition of $1,605.
“I represent one of the poorest districts in the city, District 2, and the feedback from them is they can’t afford this,” Fimbres said. “I know my colleagues on the board think $2 isn’t a lot, but it is for people in my district. So I voted my conscience.”
Board Chairwoman Brenda Even said, “None of us wants to do this,” before calling for a roll-call vote.
Sherryn Marshall considered abstaining because she said she was torn about having “this bad economy be borne on the backs of our students.”
In the end, Marshall voted aye, but asked that the record show it was “very, very reluctantly” and reserved the right to ask for a vote to lower tuition if PCC’s revenues increase more than expected with federal stimulus money.
Full-time, out-of-state students will also see an increase of $2 per credit hour, bringing their tuition to $90 per credit hour up to six hours or $255 per credit hour for seven or more hours, according to board documents.
Chancellor Roy Flores, through Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration David Bea, recommended the tuition hike.
Bea said the increase would generate about $1.3 million for the college district. He added that even with the increase, Pima will still be below the state average for tuition at community colleges.
In other business, the board:
• Voted unanimously to approve a consent agenda that included purchasing an emergency broadcast paging system for $250,000. This is the initial phase of the college district’s emergency alert plan, according to board documents. The system will start with a pilot program at the Northwest and West campuses.
‘I represent one of the poorest districts in the city, District 2, and the feedback from them is they can’t afford this.’
Richard Fimbres,
PCC board member