Interim University of Illinois President Stanley Ikenberry told a southern Illinois newspaper last Monday that tuition might have to be raised for incoming students by as much as 20 percent.
Some members of the U of I community are worried that with proposed tuition hikes and already-enacted housing rate increases, the University of Illinois system is on its way to becoming a de facto private school.
Speaking before the faculty of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences on February 24th, Ikenberry said a 10% tuition increase would be "digestable" and said a higher increase was unlikely. Just days later, he seemed to broaden the range. What changed?
According to University spokesman Thomas Hardy, nothing.
"Media are fixated by the 20% figure that President Ikenberry gave as the high end of a range from 10% to 20% for a possible tuition increase for incoming students," said Hardy in an email to the Flame.
"President Ikenberry [also] said the 'more likely' number would be something in the low to mid-teen percentage increase. In other words, he provided a 10 to 20 percent range as a possibility and said the probability is something in the middle."
The issue is not expected to be resolved before the May 20th Board of Trustees meeting and might not be settled until late June.
is a member of the 
Be the first to comment on this article!