HutchCC sees tuition increase for 18-19

By Merissa Anderson
Collegian editor

The 2018-2019 school year at Hutchinson Community College will see an increase in tuition prices for all in-state, out-of-state, international and special classification students, as well as an increase in hourly fees for most technical career classes, as decided by the Board of Trustees on Feb. 8.

For legal residents in Kansas, tuition costs per credit hour are making a $2 increase from $87 to $89, while student fees per credit hour will increase from $19 to $21 for both regular and out-of-state students. This trend follows other students as well with the tuition-per-credit-hour cost for legal out-of-state residents increasing from $118 to $120 and, for international students, from $127 to $129.

Many technical career field classes are making price hops with increases in special course fees, many of which require special supplies or food for students. AC/DC Circuits is first on the list with an increase from $130 to $315 in order to fund a tool kit and bag required for wiring classes and labs. By adding this to the class cost, students will then have the tools required when they move into their career.

The course required in order to earn a Commercial Driver’s License will make a $150 increase from $625 last year to $775.

Many classes within the fire Sscience program will have increased costs due to an increased cost of materials, such as wrecked cars used during Fire Science Basic Vehicle Extrication, where the price is increasing from $40 to $60 per student per credit hour. Additional increases in other fire classes are due to various materials and to cover the cost of necessary consumables.

The nursing program will also see a slight increase in class costs, particularly in the Nursing A.D.N Transition Lab, in which the required IV supplies have dramatically increased in price.

“IV supplies have increased considerably,” according to the document provided from the meeting. “Mainly because of the disaster in Puerto Rico where the majority of the supplies are made.”

However, nursing students taking Health Maintenance Promotion and Restoration Practicum will see a $25 decrease in their course fee, due to their supplies being sourced from a different company.

The next program with the most increases in course cost is the welding program, also due to an increase in the cost of materials needed and how many materials are needed for welding, such as stainless steel, aluminum, gas, consumables and updating machinery and other equipment.

Most cost increases for welding are comparatively low with the largest increase being in welding courses raising from $20 to $50.

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