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Community College Ups Tuition, Funds Building As Tuition Rises, Many Faculty Members Receive 5 Percent Pay Increases.

Posted on: Wednesday, 20 July 2005, 15:01 CDT

The St. Johns River Community College budget for 2005-06 includes a tuition increase for students and a new building for the Orange Park campus.

The college's board of trustees passed the budget on June 15, including a tuition increase that will push the in-state fee per credit hour from $61.84 to $66.88 and out-of-state fees per credit hour from $231.81 to $251.14.

But college President Robert L. McLendon Jr. said despite the tuition increase, St. Johns River Community College students still receive a quality education at an affordable price.

"You can still go . . . as a full-time student for a year for about $2,000, not including books and lab fees," he said.

The budget also provides a 3 percent salary increase for career service employees and a 5 percent increase for faculty members. Faculty in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and those with doctorates in math, chemistry and physics will get significant salary supplements.

The college's operating budget is about $20.76 million, with about $13.9 million in state revenue, including $1.4 million in lottery proceeds, McLendon said.

Construction, remodeling and renovation funds, which are maintained separately, include a $9 million science and nursing facility for the Orange Park campus and an expansion of the Florida School of the Arts building and air conditioning for the gymnasium at the Palatka campus.

McLendon commended state Rep. Joe Pickens, R-Palatka, chairman of the House Education Appropriations Committee, for helping secure more college funding this year.

"This is one of the best years which we have had in terms of our support from the Florida Legislature," he said. "We are so very fortunate to have as our advocate Rep. Joe Pickens . . . a powerful committee chairman who has great influence on the budget for all of education in Florida."

Registration for the college's fall term begins in August and classes begin Aug. 22. For more information about admissions, registration dates and times, or class schedules, contact the Orange Park, Palatka or St. Augustine campus or go to www.sjrcc.edu.

Source: Florida Times Union

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