Planned tuition increases at City Colleges of Chicago delayed due to COVID-19 crisis

City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor Juan Salgado | City Colleges of Chicago

By W.J. Kennedy

Apr 30, 2020

Citing the disruption over the COVID-19 pandemic, City Colleges of the Chicago Board of Trustees has delayed a recommended 3 percent across-the-board increase in tuition, and the implementation of lab fees.

But the board did approve the removal of a tuition cap currently set at 12 credit hours, board spokeswoman Katheryn Hayes told Chicago City Wire.

“The tuition committee found consensus that one group of students, e.g. part-time students, should not subsidize another group of students, e.g. full-time students,” Hayes wrote in an email. “With this change students will pay the same per credit hour rate no matter how many credits they take.”

City Colleges of Chicago

In February, WBEZ reported that a $17.4 million budget gap forced the the board to consider tuition increases that would have gone into effect this summer.

“This comes as the public community college system — the state’s largest, with 71,000 students — has been struggling with declining enrollment and has few options for increasing revenue,” the public radio station reported.

The planned tuition increase would have brought in a little more than half of the needed in revenue if enrollment remained steady, but enrollment has declined each year since 2010, WBEZ reported.

Then COVID-19 hit.

Another change enacted by the board will establish consistency among its specialized programs, Hayes said.

“With the board having voted for specialized tuition rates for equipment-intensive dental hygiene, radiography and construction technology programs, just as City Colleges already has in place for its nursing programs,” she wrote.

“This change sets construction technology programs at less than they would have been priced if charged on a strictly per credit hour basis. Scholarship funds will also be directed to help cover the difference for health science and construction technology students affected by this change. “

City Colleges of Chicago, officially known as Community College District 508, employs approximately 5,000 faculty and support staff. The Better Government Association reported that in 2017 City Colleges Chancellor Juan Salgado earned $256,250. Other salaries listed for 2017 include $334,096 for Cheryl Hyman, special adviser to the board, and $212, 622 for Angelia Millender, president City Colleges.