Second Substitute S.B. 210

Senator Carlene M. Walker proposes to substitute the following bill:

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 the institution's student newspaper.
22 (b) The advertisement shall be run twice during a period of ten days prior to the meeting.
23 (c) The advertisement shall state that the institution will meet on a certain day, time, and
24 place fixed in the advertisement, which shall not be less than seven days after the day the second
25 advertisement is published, for the purpose of hearing comments regarding the proposed increase

26 and to explain the reasons for the proposed increase.
27 (3) The form and content of the notice shall be substantially as follows:
28 "NOTICE OF PROPOSED TUITION INCREASE
29 The (name of the higher education institution) is proposing to increase student tuition rates.
30 This would be an increase of ______ %, which is an increase of $______ per semester for a
31 full-time resident undergraduate student. All concerned students and citizens are invited to a
32 public hearing on the proposed increase to be held at (meeting place) on (date) at (time)."
33 (4) (a) The institution shall provide the following information to those in attendance at the
34 meeting required under Subsection (1):
35 (i) the current year's student enrollment for:
36 (A) the State System of Higher Education, if a systemwide increase is being considered;
37 or
38 (B) the institution, if an increase is being considered for just a single institution;
39 (ii) total tuition revenues for the current school year;
40 (iii) changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) over the prior year, whether the proposed
41 tuition increase exceeds any increase in the CPI, and if it does, the reasons for exceeding the
42 increase in the CPI;
43 (iv) projected student enrollment growth for the next school year and projected tuition
44 revenue increases from that anticipated growth; and
45 (v) a detailed accounting of how and where the increased tuition revenues would be spent.
46 (b) The enrollment and revenue data required under Subsection (4)(a) shall be broken
47 down into majors or departments if the proposed tuition increases are department or major specific.
48 (5) If the institution does not make a final decision on the proposed tuition increase at the
49 meeting, it shall announce the date, time, and place of the meeting where that determination shall
50 be made.