S.B. 210

1

HIGHER EDUCATION TUITION DISCLOSURE
2 2001 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Sponsor: Carlene M. Walker
5 This act modifies provisions related to the State System of Higher Education by requiring
6 higher education institutions to hold a public meeting prior to increasing tuition rates. The
7 act details the procedures to be followed for the meeting, including publication of a notice
8 and the information to be supplied to those at the meeting.
9 This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
10 ENACTS:
11 53B-7-101.5, Utah Code Annotated 1953
12 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
13 Section 1. Section 53B-7-101.5 is enacted to read:
14 53B-7-101.5. Proposed tuition increases -- Notice -- Hearings.
15 (1) If an institution within the State System of Higher Education listed in Section
16 53B-1-102 considers increasing tuition rates for students in the process of preparing or
17 implementing its budget, it shall hold a meeting to receive public input and response on the issue.
18 (2) The institution shall advertise the hearing required under Subsection (1) using the
19 following procedure:
20 (a) The institution shall advertise its intent to consider an increase in student tuition rates
21 in:
22 (i) a newspaper that has general circulation in the geographical area in which the institution
23 is located; and
24 (ii) the institution's student newspaper, if the institution has a student newspaper.
25 (b) The advertisement shall be no less than 1/4 page in size and the type shall be no
26 smaller than 18 point, and surrounded by a 1/4 inch border.
27 (c) The advertisement may not be placed in that portion of the paper where legal notices

28 and classified advertisements appear.
29 (d) It is the intent of the Legislature that, whenever possible, the advertisement appear in
30 a newspaper that is published at least one day per week.
31 (e) The advertisement shall be run once each week for the two weeks prior to the meeting.
32 (f) The advertisement shall state that the institution will meet on a certain day, time, and
33 place fixed in the advertisement, which shall not be less than seven days after the day the day the
34 first advertisement is published, for the purpose of hearing comments regarding the proposed
35 increase and to explain the reasons for the proposed increase.
36 (3) The form and content of the notice shall be substantially as follows:
37 "NOTICE OF PROPOSED TUITION INCREASE
38 The (name of the higher education institution) is proposing to increase student tuition rates.
39 As a result of the proposed increase, the amount of tuition for a resident undergraduate semester
40 credit unit would be $_______, and the amount of tuition for a resident graduate semester credit
41 unit would be $________. Without the proposed increase the amount of tuition for a resident
42 undergraduate semester credit unit would be $________, and the amount of tuition for a resident
43 graduate semester credit would be $________.
44 This would be an increase of ______%, which is $______per semester and $________ for
45 the school year. With the increased tuition rate, the institution shall increase its tuition revenues
46 from $_________ collected during the current school year to $________ for the upcoming school
47 year for a tuition revenue increase of $________, factoring in projected growth in student
48 enrollment. All concerned students and citizens are invited to a public hearing on the proposed
49 increase to be held at (meeting place) on (date) at (time)."
50 (4) (a) The institution shall provide the following information to those in attendance at the
51 meeting required under Subsection (1):
52 (i) the current year's student enrollment for:
53 (A) the State System of Higher Education, if a systemwide increase is being considered;
54 or
55 (B) the institution, if an increase is being considered for just a single institution;
56 (ii) total tuition revenues for the current school year;
57 (iii) changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) over the prior year, whether the proposed
58 tuition increase exceeds any increase in the CPI, and if it does, the reasons for exceeding the

59 increase in the CPI;
60 (iv) projected student enrollment growth for the next school year and projected tuition
61 revenue increases from that anticipated growth; and
62 (v) a detailed accounting of how and where the increased tuition revenues would be spent.
63 (b) The enrollment and revenue data required under Subsection (4)(a) shall be listed in
64 categories of undergraduate and graduate tuition rates and further broken down into major or
65 departments if the proposed tuition increases are department or major specific.
66 (5) If the institution does not make a final decision on the proposed tuition increase at the
67 meeting, it shall announce the date, time, and place of the meeting where that determination shall
68 be made.




Legislative Review Note
as of 2-5-01 9:36 AM

A limited legal review of this legislation raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel