No Tuition Increase at Eastern Florida for Fifth Straight Year

No tuition hike for students for the fifth straight year and a pay increase for faculty and staff are key features in Eastern Florida State College’s new fiscal year budget.

The college’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved the $78.6 million plan for 2016-17 Monday. It goes into effect July 1.

The budget continues the major investment the college is making in more than 40 new programs that are drawing students to study in such fields as business, health care and computer technology.

The investment is occurring by funding the personnel, equipment and infrastructure necessary to ensure success, said college President Dr. Jim Richey.

“This budget is providing opportunities that are truly making a difference in our community and region by increasing the probability of economic success for our students and area residents,” said Richey.

“The most important way we’re doing that is keeping education highly affordable, which is paramount to me because it opens the doors to a better life.”

Key budget provisions include:

• No tuition increase for the fifth straight year, a period that corresponds with Richey’s time as Eastern Florida president.

The total for tuition and fees will remain $104 per credit hour for lower division courses for Florida residents, which is in line with other state colleges in Central Florida.

The total per credit hour for upper division courses for Florida residents will remain $128.51, which is similar to other institutions in the 28-member Florida College System to which Eastern Florida belongs.

• A 2.5 percent base pay increase for members of the United Faculty of Florida Brevard Chapter in the second year of a three-year collective bargaining agreement. The pact calls for a 2.5 percent pay increase annually over three years for a total 7.5 percent increase from 2015-18.

• A 2.5 percent base pay increase for all full-time staff and regular part-time staff. The college will also absorb expected mid-year increases in health insurance and dental insurance premiums for college employees, and provide a 25 percent per credit hour discount for the dependents of employees who attend Eastern Florida.

• Allocates $20.7 million for ongoing projects that include the continued expansion of the Melbourne campus and improvements to technology, classrooms and other facilities college-wide.

Among the Melbourne campus projects are the completion of construction for the new Health Sciences Institute in late 2016, the start of construction on a new Student Union in 2017, and rerouting Titan Boulevard, the main thoroughfare on the Melbourne campus, to improve pedestrian safety.