Slashed student scholarships by hundreds of thousands in 2010-11 but approved a $103.5 million dollar building campaign in December 2013; to avoid taxpayer disapproval over 2013 project,  it used sparse tax dollars for capital projects and ignored need to replace student scholarship money 

Anyone familiar with how the College Governing Board has operated in the past can only scratch their head at how it so easily trashed student institutional scholarships in favor of  a $103.5 million dollar ten-year plan to essentially rebuild the campus and centers on the west side of the County.

Recall that back in 2010-11 the College claimed it faced a financial crisis. It based the claim on a large reduction in state financial assistance.  In response to the crisis,  about $1 million dollars in student institutional scholarships were eliminated from the general fund.  This meant that a very large number of deserving students no longer received scholarship aid; for many it probably meant no longer having access to post-secondary education.

Also recall that in December 2013 the College Administration created a $103.5 million dollar building plan, which the Governing Board approved in concept.  This plan was essentially aimed at  the campus and centers on the west side of the County.  Astonishingly, without a whimper from the  controlling West County voting bloc on the Board, the College moved ahead with the building plan financed from the general fund to pay for the construction. (Over repeated objection from east county former Board members Oliphant and  Filardo and present Board member McCasland.)

Since December 2013 the College has plowed ahead with its building project (reducing it to about $65 million) without showing any real concern for its decision to eliminate the $1 million dollar in scholarships in 2010-11. (After almost a decade, the Board may finally replace about $100,00 of the $1 million at the February 2019 meeting.)

In a better world, the funds from the budget should have gone to student scholarships over the past decade rather than for capital construction.

The reason students were shafted is clear.  The Governing Board feared sending the $103.5 development project to County voters and asking them to approve it via a General Obligation bond.   They might have rejected it. If approved, it would have created a secondary tax but left the primary taxes in the general fund for student scholarships. 

Because of  fear of not getting their way on the huge building project, the previous Board and previous administration sacrificed student scholarships. 

One hopes the new board and new administration will see students in a different light and give priority to scholarships over bricks and mortar. Replacing the $100,000 is a small step in the right direction.

Is this fair to County taxpayers and county students who are not allowed to compete for these scholarships?

Yavapai Community College annually places about $800,000 in a fund to support what are described as “institutional scholarships.” However, it appears there is not a fair opportunity for all students to apply and be selected for one of these scholarships.

When questioned during the January Governing Board meeting, the College Administration admitted that around $600,000 of those scholarships went mostly to athletes. (See Video). Moreover, most of the $600,000 went to the athletic program to provide scholarships for student athletes recruited outside Yavapai County.

In data obtained by the Blog via a public records request, the Community College reported that it spent $598,052 in scholarships for athletes recruited in 2017. This compares with a total award of tuition scholarships to athletes of $405,170 in 2010 (192,882 more than in 2017).

Isn’t it time for the Governing Board to seriously discuss whether the practice of setting aside 75% of all institutional scholarships for athletes  is a fair use of student tuition? One hopes that this discussion will take place at the February governing board meeting.

College has done so for over a decade  – Does requested 4.5% increase reflect the cost of attendance? Continue to increase student debt?

Yavapai Community College has increased its base tuition in each of the last ten years in some form. The tuition increase has been at least twice the annual inflation rate each year.  

For example, the inflation rate for 2019 is currently estimated at 2.3%, up a bit from 1.9% at the end of 2018.  However, the college is recommending a 4.5% increase for 2019 – 20. Last year (2018), the college recommended and received a 5% tuition increase and a 4% tax rate increase.

With a reduced staff and a significant drop in the number of students taking accredited classes, what is the justification for the increase? Hopefully, we’ll get some answers at the February Governing Board meeting.

The result of these increases is, of course to saddle many community college students with increased debt.

Bill would direct colleges to create new tuition rate for these Arizona students, which at Yavapai is now $366 per credit when taking more than six credits compared to $87 per credit for residents

Senate Bill 1217, sponsored by Cave Creek Republican Senator Heather Carter, would direct Yavapai Community College and other colleges in Arizona to create a new tuition rate for all students who graduate from Arizona high schools.

The Bill would allow young immigrants covered under the Federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and students who are undocumented to pay a different price than the out-of-state tuition rates, which are about three to four times higher than in-state rates.  If the bill passes, a DACA student who graduates from an Arizona high school would be eligible for the new tuition rate for the four years after they graduate from high school.

At Yavapai Community College, the standard per credit tuition rate for residents is $87.  Out-of-state tuition for a nonresident taking more than seven credits is $366 per credit.

The bill follows a decision by the Arizona Supreme Court in April that ruled that Maricopa Community Colleges could not legally grant in-state tuition to DACA recipients.

McCasland asks for more justification but told to wait; When  justifying his vote, Sigafoos cites socialism, Bernie Sanders, Ross Perot and asserts Arizona Republican AG is a Democrat 

As expected, a majority on the Yavapai Community College District Governing swiftly approved President Penelope Wills request for a 5% tuition increase in basic tuition. Only Second District Representative Deb McCasland said “no” to the five percent increase. She wanted substantial justification for the increase but didn’t receive it.

 Increases were also made in Tier two tuition (up from $95 to $100 per credit hour) and tier three tuition (up from $105 to $110 per credit hour.). Some courses such as those in aviation were reduced by $25 an hour to $525 an hour.   

During the discussion, Board member Ray Sigafoos cited socialism, Bernie Sanders, and Ross Parot as support for is view.  He stated that Arizona’s Republican Attorney General, Mark Brnovich was a democrat.  Sigafoos didn’t seem pleased that the AG was raising tuition questions and questioning the meaning  found in Arizona’s Constitution that reads that  instruction be furnished “as nearly free as possible.”  

The following chart shows the increases approved in the various areas. (The estimated inflation rate was apparently not considered in setting fees.)

Constitution mandates that instruction be furnished “as nearly free as possible”

Commentary

Absent a dramatic change, the Yavapai Community College District Governing Board will decide the amount of student tuition increase, if any, at the February Board meeting. Over the past ten years, the Board has increased tuition in some form every year.  There is no reason to believe that the Board, driven by the West-County Voting Bloc, will not increase tuition at the February meeting.

But does the Board’s obsession with annually increasing tuition comport with the intent of Arizona’s Constitution regarding the cost of instruction to students?  The Blog believes the answer is clearly “no.”  Here is why.

The Arizona Constitution states the following: “The university and all other state educational institutions shall be open to students of both sexes, and the instruction furnished shall be as nearly free as possible.” Below are listed some of the reasons that explain why this mandate has not been followed by the  Governing Board (a majority vote only since 2013 ).

1. Student tuition is currently being used to repay the bonds purchased to renovate the student residence halls and in part to install new power plants on the Prescott and Verde campuses. Rather than put that obligation on the back of students, the alternatives were to (1) use primary tax revenue to pay for these projects or,  (2) seek voter approved General Obligation Bonds that would be repaid by a secondary property tax throughout the District. Failure to chose either of the available alternatives violated the Constitution because without the annual bond obligation, student tuition would no doubt be less.
2. The Board could decide to immediately relieve the pressure on tuition by deciding to use primary tax revenue to pay the annual principle and interest on the outstanding $12 million. The need for a tuition increase would vanish.
3. The College launched a $103.5 million capital development program in December 2013. Rather than seek approval from voters for General Obligation bonds to fund such a huge project, the College Administrators chose to use primary tax revenue as the financial backbone of the program. Because primary tax revenue was sucked up to pay for renovation and new buildings, tuition had to be increased to keep the College from folding.  Failure to ask voters to approve General Obligation Bonds for ;the huge development program necessarily caused an increase in tuition, which resulted in violation of the Constitution.
4. The College sets tuition in some courses at what it called “market based.” Clearly, using “market based” as a criteria for setting tuition violates the language of the Constitution. Note that “market based” tuition at Yavapai College ranges from $116 per credit hour to $550.

It seems pretty clear that in a variety of ways, the Governing Board violates Arizona’s Constitution.  However, because the difference between four-year tuition at a state university and the Community College is so great, the gap covers up the fact that student instruction at the Community College is not being furnished as nearly free as possible.

Below is a chart showing how tuition was increased in 2017 by the Governing Board by a 4-1 vote (McCasland dissenting).

2016 or 2017 GED grads may attend Yavapai Community College without paying tuition; but must provide for other related costs

Students who have recently received their GED will be able to attend Yavapai College tuition-free.

Penny Wills, Yavapai College president, said the College’s Adult Basic Education waives tuition and fees for all Yavapai County residents who earned their GED in 2016 or 2017, and who meet Arizona state residency requirements.

“We know after 12 credits of higher education they are more likely to vote, they are less likely—markedly—to be incarcerated, and they will be much more involved with their communities. That’s the type of person that I want in our society,” she said.

Students will still be responsible for other expenses, such as books, supplies, and testing fees, according to a post on the Yavapai College website.

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Will Yavapai Community College ever seriously explore this possibility?

Rhode Island has become the fourth state in the United States to make community college tuition and fees free. The tuition and fee waiver applies to all students regardless of income.

Rhode Island follows New York, Oregon, and Tennessee in making tuition and fees free at the community college level.

Typically, Yavapai Community College has increased tuition in some form every year for the past 10 years. It currently collects around $10 million a year in tuition. Is it possible, given the current excess revenue that is used to build parking lots, tennis courts, and buildings, to make tuition free for Yavapai residents and their children or at least reduced by many dollars at the College?  Will the College and the Governing Board seriously study and discuss this issue?