Sam Douglas/Fourth Estate

Mason’s Board of Visitors reviewed a budget proposal could cost students hundreds of dollars

BY BRIAN A. HAYUM, STAFF WRITER

On April 1, the Mason Board of Visitors held a meeting to review the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The budget details a 2.5% increase in tuition and mandatory student fees. The budget, if approved at the April 10 Finance and Land Use Committee meeting, would raise tuition price for undergraduate and graduate programs by a minimum of $264 for in-state students and $528 for out-of-state.

 “George Mason continues to prioritize access and affordability despite rising costs and operating in the most expensive region in the Commonwealth,” read one presentation slide. The price hike is said to “support critical infrastructure investments” in response to “rising costs and market compensation.”

(Courtesy of Board of Visitors)

Despite highlighting the affordability and accessibility of attending Mason, the budget calls for additional investment to match the university’s ascendance in state and national rankings.

“We are very proud of our continued increases in rankings across the Commonwealth and United States….We believe these rankings help strengthen the value of a George Mason degree….

 However, we still have a funding shortfall,” said Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration Deb Dickenson.  

“We are doing what we can on limited resources. We need the tuition dollars to support our faculty and staff retaining critical staff, expanding in innovative fields and building our infrastructure where our systems and infrastructure are behind,” said Dickenson

A tuition increase constitutes a large part of the cost of admission but not all of it. Mandatory student fees would also increase by 2.5% and would total $96 for both graduate and undergraduate students. The increase “covers all the services and programs and infrastructure that all students have access to,” said Vice President of University Life Rose Pascarell. 

 The partnership between University Life and athletics was highlighted as another need for investment. “One of the ways we want to invest is in athletics,” Pascarell said. “The partnership that university life has with athletics really provides us with an opportunity to increase engagement.”

“We [Mason Athletics] have been underfunded for a number of years, and the resources have not kept pace with the expenses to maintain a competitive program,” Athletic Director Marvin Lewis said. “My goal is to provide a holistic student athlete experience and one that the university can be proud of. To do that, we have to increase the investment in athletics.” 

Despite the call for additional investment, Visitor Horace Blackman highlighted the balance between the school’s affordability and need for additional funds. “There is a bit of a chicken and egg problem,” Horace explained. “To raise more money, you have to have more infrastructure. To get more infrastructure, you need more money. At some point, it is like living in a house that is really old, and you cannot do any more attachments or upgrades. You have to knock it down and build it again.”

The Finance Land and Use Committee will vote on the proposed budget on April 10. If approved, the full board will vote on the bill on May 1.