By Arry Schofield —
U of L will increase tuition 3.5 percent starting this fall, as approved at the June 20 Board of Trustees meeting. Full time students will pay roughly $400 more next year.
“I know the tuition is being increased and I know it’s unfortunate, but it’s something that really needs to be done,” outgoing SGA president Vishnu Tirumala said.
To offset some of the increased tuition cost, the Student Athletic Fee was halved to $25 per semester.
The $1.2 billion budget allocates $5 million for student recruitment, $5 million for student success and $4 million in additional financial aid targeted to offset the tuition hike.
Since Gov. Matt Bevin announced a 6.25 percent cut to higher education in January, U of L has been working to accommodate.
A new 1.7 percent cut to the overall university budget, announced last week, will be handled by deans and unit heads.
“We’re encouraging deans to look at their own situations,” president Neeli Bendapudi said.
Though the university will be experiencing some drastic cuts, Bendapudi remains optimistic.
“I ask for your patience and support as we make changes to strengthen the university while dealing with our fiscal reality,” she wrote in an email last week.
Bendapudi is also starting to fill open positions, announcing two to the trustees.
Dan Durbin, vice president for health affairs at the U of L Health Sciences Center, will be the university’s chief financial officer. U of L has been without a permanent CFO since Harlan Sands resigned in December 2016.
Brad Shafer, head of business development and investor relations at Ramsey Quantitative Systems Inc., will become interim vice president for university advancement. Shafer will replace Bryan Robinson, who resigned in February.
Photo by Arry Schofield / The Louisville Cardinal
