Snow remains most affordable college in Utah, despite tuition increase
Robert Stevens
Managing editor
4-6-2017
EPHRAIM—There is bad news and good news regarding tuition at Snow College.
The bad news is that tuition is going up again.
The good news is, it’s the smallest increase in nearly a decade.
It’s also the smallest in the state in comparison to the other seven colleges and universities that were seeking tuition increases this year.
“Students who chose to attend Snow College get a first-class educational experience, and we are committed to keeping college as affordable as possible,” said Snow College President Gary Carlston.
Last Friday, the Utah System of Higher Education Board of Regents approved rate increases at all schools. According to Utah Commissioner of Higher Education David Buhler, it was the lowest systemwide tuition increase since 1999-2000, an average of 3.4 percent.
Snow’s tuition hike of 2.5 percent will tack on $80 to a student’s annual tuition, based on a 15-credit-hour semester for two semesters. That compares to nearly $300 per year at the state’s biggest schools, the Univeristy of Utah and Utah State University.
“The modest, first-tier 2.5 percent tuition increase this year will help cover our employees’ cost-of-living increase, which was approved by the legislature,” Carlston said. “We are grateful for the support from the Legislature, and especially that of our local legislators.”
Tuition increases happen in two ways. There is the uniform “tier one” increase which applies to all eight of the state-funded schools.
According to Buhler, Revenue generated from first-tier tuition increases will be used to fund the legislatively required match for compensation and benefits, and may be used for other needs in instructional support, IT and other costs.
Optionally, a school may request a “tier two” tuition increase to meet extra-budgetary requirements. Snow did not request such an increase this year.
Beginning in May, yearly tuition at Snow College for Utah resident undergraduate students will climb from $3,196 to $3,276. Non-resident tuition will climb from $11,674 to $11,966, a $292 increase.
Carlston says that although Snow administration did not request a tier two tuition increase, the school’s student leaders did vote to increase fees by $10 per student to fund a new position in the school’s Wellness Center.
“They saw a critical need, surveyed the student body, and recommended to the Fee Board—of which they are a part—the increase for this purpose,” Carlston said.
“We are proud of the many good things happening on our campuses,” he said, “and we hope more students will be able to obtain their degrees here at the most affordable college in the state.”
