The University of Arkansas, and other colleges, made out like bandits in the recent legislative session. Does that mean students will get relief from tuition increases? It does not. Morning News reports that tuition will rise almost 4 percent, along with other fees for housing, meals, parking, etc.
You have to come up with money somewhere to pay all the associate and vice and full chancellors up in Waltonville. Later today, maybe, I’ll pass along a little note from the hill explaining how John White pays $70,000 a year to someone who shows up for work sporadically as an executive assistant. This assistant has caused a little rumbling in the ranks, but it could be worse. The assistant, who carries a vice chancellor rank, is authorized for pay up to $130,000 a year. The job appears to be attending meetings related to campus diversity and helping White with construction of his new official residence, among others.
UPDATE: I see the UA spun the D-G reporter into emphasizing that a 3.95 percent tuition increase was the lowest in 22 years. But add it to a 9 percent increase in state funding and you’ve got a whopper of a revenue increase.
Questions: Did you get a 4 percent pay raise this year? A 13 percent pay raise? Any idea how 4 percent compares with the inflation rate?