Students at Maryland’s public universities could face double-digit tuition increases, and colleges might be forced to cut faculty and programs as the result of a possible $110 million reduction in state aid.

To avoid this “doomsday” spending cut to higher education, Gov. Martin O’Malley said, the General Assembly must approve his budget plan to erase the state’s $1.7 billion deficit.

“Budget cuts of this type would be disastrous,” said Robert Caret, president of Towson University, which could lose $9.2 million.

“We couldn’t hire faculty and we’d have to stop taking more students.”

This story continues below
Advertisement

Last week, the Board of Regents, which governs the 11 state colleges, passed a resolution in support of a proposed 1 percent corporate income tax increase O’Malley proposed. Half of the expected revenue — $55 million a year — would go toward higher education, with the rest devoted to transportation.

Despite a state-mandated freeze in tuition costs this year, students remember unprecedented increases between 2003 and 2005, when costs skyrocketed 30 to 40 percent. University officials estimated next year’s tuition increase could reach 10 percent or more.

Student government associations across the state have started letter-writing campaigns and plan to pack buses to Annapolis to demonstrate their concern at hearings during the special session of the General Assembly that starts next week.

“A lot of schools aren’t affordable anymore for a lot of people,” said sophomore Josh Michael, an SGA officer and political science and secondary education major at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, which could lose $9.1 million.

“A lot is riding on this special session.”

Of the state schools, University of Maryland, College Park could lose the most, $42.9 million, followed by University of Maryland, Baltimore, $18.8 million, according to O’Malley’s estimates.

“We are extremely anxious because the size of this cut is very worrisome,” said Barbara Klein, associate vice president for governmental affairs at UMB, where students studying medicine and dentistry carry debts of $115,000 or more.

“It would be a substantial blow to all of the state schools,” said Robert Bogomolny, president of University of Baltimore, which could lose $3.1 million.

Proposed budget reductions

» University System of Maryland $110 million

» Community colleges $27.8 million

» Private higher education $15.7 million

» Scholarships $9.6 million

» Morgan State University $7.5 million

» Maryland Higher Education Commission grants $2.7 million

» St. Mary’s College $1.7 million

» Senate and delegate scholarships $1.2 million

Source: Office of the Governor

kvolkmann@baltimoreexaminer.com