Fee Increase...

Sadly, fee increases are not unusual at a University, but at Achieve, we have only had to raise fees a few times over the course of the program’s existence. Over the last several years, Achieve has found ways to conserve resources, consolidate job duties, and increase efficiency and productivity, in an ongoing effort to avoid raising fees. We are keenly aware that the cost of our program affects how accessible to our population we remain. We approached the consideration of a fee increase as a measure of last resort, after all other options and opportunities had been exhausted.

If we were only responding to increased costs due to inflation and cost of living expenses, then we probably could stave off a fee increase this year. However, in addition to the expenses you might expect, the state of Illinois and SIUC both have mandated aggressive increases in the minimum wage and in student work wages. Since 2003, (the year of our last fee increase) the amount we must pay to meet student payroll has increased by 28% even though the total average hours of service a student uses in our program each semester has remained about the same. We are predicting an additional 3% increase in payroll expense through the fiscal year ending in 2010. Unexpectedly large increases in payroll, one of our fixed costs, has forced us to act.

The new fee for full-time support is approximately a 15% increase, even though payroll costs have grown by nearly double this rate. We feel that with careful stewardship, we can meet our budget responsibilities and still provide the same level of service to our students. If you are a continuing student, the change in fees will automatically be reflected in your bursar account.

We appreciate your understanding. We felt that increasing fees was a better choice than restricting, reducing or eliminating services. We hope you agree. If you have any questions about our fees, please contact Ruth O'Rourke, Roger Pugh, or Sally DeDecker.