SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - Tuition and fee increases will dominate this week's South Dakota Board of Regents metting in Spearfish.
University of South Dakota President Jim Abbott says the hope is for a small increase. Tuition and fees were frozen last year and Abbott says he's expecting a modest increase this year, somewhere between 2% and 3%.
Abbott says items such as health care continue to increase. He says there are some discipline fees that will go up such as lab fees.
Abbott says all of the universities have had to make budget reductions. He says they were asked to take a one time cut and a cut in general funding. He says it's never pleasant but "it's the way of the world at the moment."
He says they will make specific program cuts if required. Abbott says he's always been inclined to make targeted cuts as opposed to across the board cuts because that assumes that everyone is funded equally. He says he'll look at programs that don't have a significant number of majors.
He says the process is never easy, never fun but necessary. He doesn't know if staff cuts will be needed. He says he can't say for sure because a decision has not been made.
The Regents meet Tuesday through Thursday at Black Hills State in Spearfish.