FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2017
Contact: Rachel Henry, Nebraska State College System, (402) 471.2505, rhenry@nscs.edu
Lincoln, Nebraska - On Friday, June 16, the Nebraska State College System (NSCS) Board of Trustees approved
tuition increases for 2017-2018. Tuition will increase $12 per credit hour, bringing
undergraduate resident rates to $172 per credit hour at each college. With this increase,
Chadron State, Peru State, and Wayne State remain the most affordable 4-year institutions
in the state.
The Nebraska State College System initially requested $54.9 million in state support
to cover core needs such as increased cost of salaries, health insurance, utilities,
and other operating expenses and mandatory compliance obligations for 2017-2019. The
final amount of state funding approved was $52.1 million, leaving a gap of about $2.8
million. This gap required NSCS to make internal budget cuts and increase tuition.
With these budget challenges, the Nebraska State College System had to find a way
to cover each college’s core needs without severely impacting students. Chadron State,
Peru State, and Wayne State collectively reviewed their internal budgets to make careful
adjustments to operating expenses and costs. During the review process, each college
emphasized the importance of maintaining high-quality programs and student services.
NSCS Board of Trustees chair, Gary Bieganski said “The board has worked diligently
the past several months to analyze the impact of these economic challenges to the
Nebraska State College System. We based our decisions on minimizing the impact of
budget cuts on students and keeping educational programs in place that provide significant
value to Nebraska. This tuition increase ensures that our institutions will continue
to serve as centers of academic excellence at a cost that is realistic for students.”
Chancellor Stan Carpenter said “We recognize the challenging financial situation that
Nebraska currently faces. State funding allows the Nebraska State College System to
continue to provide high-quality education to the citizens of Nebraska and we are
grateful for the continued support."
The Nebraska State College System serves over 9,000 students through three geographically
diverse institutions: Chadron State, Peru State, and Wayne State. The three colleges
combined offer more than 200 degrees, certificates, and pre-professional programs
that are accessible on campus, online, and in several locations from around the state.
With more than 270 credentialed faculty members and 50,000 successful graduates, the
Nebraska State College System provides significant human and intellectual capital
that contributes to the current and future strength of the State of Nebraska.
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