U of L Proposes Tuition Hike, Smaller Staff Raises

In an open meeting with students and faculty Tuesday, University of Louisville President James Ramsey laid out the budget the school will present to its board of trustees.The proposed budget includes a nine percent increase in tuition and a one percent increase in faculty and staff wages. Ramsey says he would have preferred to give larger raises and keep tuition lower, but he doesn’t hold it against legislators, who had to cut higher education funding by three percent in the next state spending plan. That's on top of a three percent reduction in the current fiscal year ordered by the governor.“I’d say to the members of the General Assembly ‘Thank you.’ The original budget that was submitted to the General Assembly called for 15% cut. We’re being cut 6%. So the General Assembly has made up $15 million of the proposed cut," said Ramsey.Overall the University’s budget was cut by ten million dollars. Ramsey says minimizing the tuition increase is a priority. Last month, students held a walkout and rally to protest higher tuition.The final budget must be approved by the Board of Trustees before July 1st.