SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) - Students at Ozarks Technical Community College could be facing a dramatic tuition increase if the state cuts education spending again, the school's chancellor warned.
College Chancellor Hal Higdon said the school didn't raise tuition this year because the legislature promised they would "get us that money," the Springfield News-Leader reported.
"Things do not look good in Jefferson City, budget-wise, for anybody," Higdon said. "If the budget cut that we get is equal to the one we got this year, it will mean that every four-year and two-year public (college or university) will have substantial increases in tuition."
The Ozarks Technical Community College system was able to weather the impact of a $1.1 million mid-year budget cut by postponing equipment purchases, instituting a hiring freeze for nonessential positions and offering a buyout to 70 employees who were eligible for retirement. Higdon said the preventative steps paid off.
"Between buyouts and freezes, we've more than covered the cuts from the governor this year," he said. "We are not going to have to do layoffs."
Ozarks Tech student Joshua Jones, who qualified for a scholarship program that pays for tuition at many public in-state, two-year colleges, said he has been paying attention to the state funding cuts.
Jones said he knows friends and classmates who rely on student loans and work study program to pay for college, and that he considers the college as "pretty affordable."
Jones said he's not too worried about a slight bump in tuition but "if they kept going up, it would be more concerning."
Gov. Eric Greitens is expected to reveal his proposed 2018 fiscal year budget this week.