Three Rivers tuition increase may affect cost at Cape Girardeau's college center

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The first tuition increase in three years for Three Rivers Community College will be less than expected, but it's likely higher tuition will trickle down to students enrolled in the Cape Girardeau Partnership for Higher Education.

Board of trustees members voted 6-1 to institute a $5 per credit hour bump this fall for in-district and out-of-state students, to $72 and $144 per credit hour, respectively. Darren Garrison opposed the measure, asking for a smaller change.

College administrators had planned to propose a $6 increase before word came from Gov. Jay Nixon that cuts in state funding for the next fiscal year would be less than expected, president Devin Stephenson said.

The vote was taken after a quarterly budget review revealed the school is doing well financially due to increased enrollment and cautious spending.

A decision will be made in February regarding out-of-district tuition, which also is expected to increase.

Tuition at the new Cape Girardeau Partnership for Higher Education, beginning its second semester at Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center, is based on Three Rivers' out-of-district rate, a partnership official said.

"If they increase that tuition, there's a possibility that's what it will be. But I haven't seen anything on that," said Randy Shaw, Southeast Missouri State University's assistant provost of extended learning. Southeast, Three Rivers and Mineral Area Community College combined to establish the two-year institution last year. About 190 students were enrolled in 29 classes in the opening fall semester, partnership officials said.

Garrison said Three Rivers should pass along its financial successes on to its students.

"I think because we are doing better than other colleges, we can do better for our students," he said. "We just got a very, very good financial report."

Trustee Randy Winston said the $5 increase seemed reasonable, especially as there had not been a raise in the last two years.

Administrators had feared they would see as much as a 15 percent cut in state funding. Nixon then announced the reduction would be 8.5 percent, and last week reduced that amount to 7 percent, or a little more than $300,000 for Three Rivers.

"Only a 7 percent cut is terrific," Stephenson said. "I salute the governor for supporting higher education in that regard."

Missouri's community colleges want to respond by keeping their tuition changes as close as possible to the increase in the consumer price index, Stephenson said.

"The $5 per credit hour increase is going to be embraced by every community college in Missouri," he said.

Staff writer M.D. Kittle contributed to this report.

Pertinent address:

2080 Three Rivers Blvd., Poplar Bluff, MO