COLUMBUS — Geoff Stoffel spends the school year cracking the books at Ohio State University and the summer stacking books at a campus bookstore to help pay for his education.

        He said he'll have to stack more books or take out more loans to cover a 9.3-percent tuition increase this fall — OSU's highest in more than a decade.

Geoff Stoffel, Ohio State undergrad, says he'll have to stack a lot more books to earn enough money for rising tuition costs. (Associated Press photo) | ZOOM |

        “I don't really see how raising it that much is going to benefit the students,” said Mr. Stoffel, 22, a fifth-year mathematics major from Lakewood.

        Nine of the state's 13 four-year public universities have raised tuition by more than 7 percent after lawmakers lifted a 6-percent cap on the increases.

        The Legislature imposed tuition caps in 1990 as a way to control increasing college costs. Higher-education officials said they needed to increase tuition beyond 6 percent because the state's two-year budget had little additional money for public colleges and universities.

        Rising Medicaid costs, a slowing economy and a court order to fix the school-funding system put pressure on the budget, in effect since Sunday.

        Gov. Bob Taft opposed removing the caps, except for Ohio State, which he said successfully argued it needed to raise tuition to be in line with comparable universities.

        Ohio State's tuition increases $405 to $4,761 in the fall — its largest increase since 10.9 percent in the 1987-1988 academic year. Its tuition ranks seventh out of the 13 public universities in the state.

TUITION HIKES

Undergraduate tuition increases for the 2001-02 academic year at the main campuses of Ohio's four-year public universities:    • Ohio State University, 9.3 percent.    • University of Akron, 9.3 percent.    • Cleveland State University, 9 percent.    • University of Toledo, 9 percent.    • Bowling Green State University, 8.1 percent.    • Miami University, 8 percent.    • Ohio University, 8 percent.    • University of Cincinnati, 8 percent.    • Shawnee State University, 7.6 percent.    • Kent State University, 6 percent.    • Wright State University, 6 percent.    • Youngstown State University, 5.1 percent.    • Central State University, 3 percent.

        Ohio State student Rayna Rosenberry, 21, of St. Clairsville, said tuition has become too high for the average student and questioned its benefits.

        “My classes aren't getting any more high-tech,” the consumer affairs major said. “I don't think it's benefiting the students as much as it should.”

        Ohio State spokeswoman Elizabeth Conlisk said the increase will be used to hire more academic advisers, fund technological improvements in classrooms, increase financial aid and add sections of popular courses.

        Michael M. Brown, spokesman for the Ohio Board of Regents, defended tuition increases, saying that Ohio ranks 41st in funding for higher education.

        He said the state is 11th nationally in the cost of higher education at public universities. The tuition increases will put Ohio in the top 10.

        “That's not a top 10 we want to be in,” he said.

        Ohio is not alone in higher tuition, said Travis Reindl, director of state policy for American Association of State Colleges and Universities, which represents four-year public universities.

        Mr. Reindl said universities in Alabama, Mississippi and Minnesota all have average tuition hikes of more than 10 percent this fall.

        He blamed the increases on a slowing economy and rising costs for computers, books, publications, legal services and salaries.

        Average tuition nationwide at four-year public universities rose 4.6 percent to $3,510 for the 2000-2001 academic year, higher than the 3.5 percent inflation rate as measured by the Consumer Price Index, according to the association.

        But Mr. Reindl said “the things that higher education buys ... have risen significantly more than the cost of goods and services most consumers purchase.”
       

Monitor: Census missed 1% in county
NKU is growing up fast
Bank robberies up despite risk, low yield
Born on 4th of July? So is baby's older sis
Strong holiday spirit on display
Unity Day presented as festival for all races
Man leads church he once left
Phony UC prof speaks out in Chinese newspaper
Suspect charged in slaying
More days for a swim
New building to detain juveniles
Park promotes peace and quiet
Bill would raise penalty for assault in ER
East Covington will get say on aid
Golf outing to aid students from Holmes
Judge orders woman to change attire before sentencing
Man arrested in bank robbery
Ohio couple aims to build house made from garbage
Teen kicks off tour down under
Tuition in Ohio soaring
Wilkinson takes the Fifth - 140 times
Kentucky News Briefs
Tristate A.M. Report