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S.B. 210
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HIGHER EDUCATION TUITION DISCLOSURE
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2001 GENERAL SESSION
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STATE OF UTAH
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Sponsor: Carlene M. Walker
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This act modifies provisions related to the State System of Higher Education by requiring
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higher education institutions to hold a public meeting prior to increasing tuition rates. The
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act details the procedures to be followed for the meeting, including publication of a notice
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and the information to be supplied to those at the meeting.
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This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
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ENACTS:
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53B-7-101.5, Utah Code Annotated 1953
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Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
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Section 1.
Section
53B-7-101.5
is enacted to read:
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53B-7-101.5. Proposed tuition increases -- Notice -- Hearings.
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(1) If an institution within the State System of Higher Education listed in Section
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53B-1-102
considers increasing tuition rates for students in the process of preparing or
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implementing its budget, it shall hold a meeting to receive public input and response on the issue.
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(2) The institution shall advertise the hearing required under Subsection (1) using the
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following procedure:
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(a) The institution shall advertise its intent to consider an increase in student tuition rates
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in:
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(i) a newspaper that has general circulation in the geographical area in which the institution
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is located; and
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(ii) the institution's student newspaper, if the institution has a student newspaper.
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(b) The advertisement shall be no less than 1/4 page in size and the type shall be no
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smaller than 18 point, and surrounded by a 1/4 inch border.
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(c) The advertisement may not be placed in that portion of the paper where legal notices
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and classified advertisements appear.
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(d) It is the intent of the Legislature that, whenever possible, the advertisement appear in
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a newspaper that is published at least one day per week.
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(e) The advertisement shall be run once each week for the two weeks prior to the meeting.
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(f) The advertisement shall state that the institution will meet on a certain day, time, and
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place fixed in the advertisement, which shall not be less than seven days after the day the day the
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first advertisement is published, for the purpose of hearing comments regarding the proposed
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increase and to explain the reasons for the proposed increase.
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(3) The form and content of the notice shall be substantially as follows:
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"NOTICE OF PROPOSED TUITION INCREASE
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The (name of the higher education institution) is proposing to increase student tuition rates.
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As a result of the proposed increase, the amount of tuition for a resident undergraduate semester
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credit unit would be $_______, and the amount of tuition for a resident graduate semester credit
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unit would be $________. Without the proposed increase the amount of tuition for a resident
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undergraduate semester credit unit would be $________, and the amount of tuition for a resident
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graduate semester credit would be $________.
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This would be an increase of ______%, which is $______per semester and $________ for
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the school year. With the increased tuition rate, the institution shall increase its tuition revenues
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from $_________ collected during the current school year to $________ for the upcoming school
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year for a tuition revenue increase of $________, factoring in projected growth in student
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enrollment. All concerned students and citizens are invited to a public hearing on the proposed
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increase to be held at (meeting place) on (date) at (time)."
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(4) (a) The institution shall provide the following information to those in attendance at the
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meeting required under Subsection (1):
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(i) the current year's student enrollment for:
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(A) the State System of Higher Education, if a systemwide increase is being considered;
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or
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(B) the institution, if an increase is being considered for just a single institution;
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(ii) total tuition revenues for the current school year;
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(iii) changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) over the prior year, whether the proposed
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tuition increase exceeds any increase in the CPI, and if it does, the reasons for exceeding the
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increase in the CPI;
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(iv) projected student enrollment growth for the next school year and projected tuition
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revenue increases from that anticipated growth; and
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(v) a detailed accounting of how and where the increased tuition revenues would be spent.
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(b) The enrollment and revenue data required under Subsection (4)(a) shall be listed in
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categories of undergraduate and graduate tuition rates and further broken down into major or
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departments if the proposed tuition increases are department or major specific.
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(5) If the institution does not make a final decision on the proposed tuition increase at the
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meeting, it shall announce the date, time, and place of the meeting where that determination shall
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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.