By Claudia Balthazar, Special to the Chronicle
This Academic year, the tuition at Hofstra University has increased while the budget for SGA is expected to decrease. The SGA budget is not determined by tuition. Hence, when Hofstra students pay more to attend the University, it does not mean that they are paying more for student activities. The student activity fee is very constant.
"The reason why the [SGA] budget decreased a little bit is because it was never adjusted from previous years," said Michael Hershfield, SGA Comptroller. "Last year, it was a little more inflated than it was supposed to be," he added. This semester, SGA is making up for the extra funds it received last year.
"There's a slight increase in the tuition to help keep up with the cost of maintaining an institution like Hofstra," said Sunil Samuel, Director of Admissions. "Hofstra provides the experience you need to have as a student to be successful afterward."
It is a national trend for most Universities to raise the tuition each year by four to five percent to keep up with the economy and for other reasons, according to Samuel. So Hofstra is not by itself when there is a slight increase in its tuition. It is the cost of tuition that provides students with great faculty, a class size that gives students a personal relationship with their professor and the numerous benefits that are derived from the fees.
On the one hand, students may believe that the tuition at Hofstra University should not be so high. Sophomore Suzy Linzer said, "I know we get good courses, but sometimes I get stuck with bad teachers and I feel that if we're paying this much then we should be getting the best of the best." On the other hand, some students believe that the tuition is fair enough for their education. "Private colleges are expensive in general," said Senior Wayman Rainey. "Depending on your major, [attending] Hofstra is really good for students," he added.
According to The University's Student Financial Services website, Hofstra University offers a new four-year locked-in rate for tuition and fees. However, this new rate is only open to new full-time undergraduate students. This program allows students to pay the same exact amount for their tuition each year, if they enroll. The next Hofstra generation will have the choice not to worry about a slight increase in tuition each year.