Crystal Chavez / Staff Writer
According to DMC Student Government Association (SGA) members, a tuition increase of $62 for 12 credit hours was passed for fall of 2013, DMC Provost Fernando Figeroa met with SGA officers on February 18 to discuss a possible tuition increase and SGA Treasurer Blanca S. Canales attended the February 19 DMC Board of Regents meeting during which the increases were discussed.
Canales said presently in-district students taking 12 credit semester hours pay $1107 and the proposed tuition increase for in-district students taking 12 credit semester hours is $1169, a difference of $62.
Jaclean Harris, SGA president, said, “This tuition increase will not hurt us, but help us because it is going back into the programs that assist students.” Harris said that the increase is not for administration wages but for all the programs that are available for student success.
“Many students do not know about these programs unless we tell them,” Canales said. “I see a lot of students and they say, ‘I have to go to the library because I do not have a laptop’ and I tell them they can rent one for two weeks with their student ID at the St. Clair Science Building.”
SGA officers said they were more concerned that many students do not know that there are so many programs available for them funded by student fees and tuition. Students have can rent laptops and tablets and have several tutoring programs such as the Student Success Center, Stone Writing Center, Math Learning Center, Peer Tutoring Center and Trio Program.
All these services are available to students and Harris said, “Many students get concerned when there is a tuition increase, but this increase will go to increasing resources for these programs.” Besides tutoring programs, tuition and fees provide avenues to make students’ DMC experience less stressful, such as access to the Gymnasium’s workout room and swimming pool.
“Students also have access to fax anything or print and make copies at the Student Government Association room 109 at the Harvin Center for free,” said Director of Student Leadership & Campus Life Office Beverly Cage.
According to Canales, there will be a backlash about the increase but it is for the student’s benefit. “While Del Mar is making an increase, it will still be less than the tuition at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, comparing 12 hours at A&M, which is $3512. Overall, DMC is still a great value with a difference in savings of $2343 for full-time students attending DMC compared to TAMCC,” said Canales.
