NORTHERN OKLAHOMA COLLEGE
Public Information Office
P.O. Box 310
Tonkawa, OK 74653-0310
Telephone: 580.628.6444
FAX: 580.628.6303
E-mail: bill.johnson@noc.edu
Website: www.noc.edu
June 21, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NOC Board of Regents approve budget, tuition for FY2018
The Northern Oklahoma College Board of Regents approved the fiscal year 2018 operating budget for the college during its regularly scheduled meeting today on the NOC Tonkawa campus.
This year’s $25.8 million budget includes state appropriations of $7.8 million, a 6.08% or $507,000 decrease from FY2017. Since 2015, the total amount of state appropriations allocated to Northern Oklahoma College has decreased by more than $2.4 million due to state cuts. State appropriations now account for only 30% of NOC’s operating budget. In comparison, state appropriations in 2002 accounted for 70% of the operating budget.
“Our board and administration are committed to our mission as a land-grant institution and the State’s oldest community college by providing the highest quality of accessible and affordable educational opportunities and services,” said NOC Board of Regents Chair Jeff Cowan. “We are preparing to deal with this lost revenue and will continue to be good stewards of all our funds, including our state appropriations, tuition and fees, and private donations to assure that our students have the resources needed to reach their educational goals despite these difficult economic times.”
In light of the continued cuts in state appropriations for higher education, increasing mandatory costs and a declining enrollment, the college made a variety of budget adjustments across the institution. The most notable change will be that the total allocated for salary and fringe benefits will be reduced nearly $675,000.
There will be a loss of 42 part-time positions and 41 student employment positions at the institution. In addition, some positions will be restructured as a result and four full-time positions will be cut. Additionally, travel for all employees was decreased across the board by 6.4% (with an exception of the two accredited academic divisions), with the overall travel budget reduced by 5.8%. Divisions and departments will again have decreases in departmental supplies, memberships, operating costs and professional development funding. Budgets for student extra-curricular activities and community service efforts will also see reductions.
Unfortunately, it would not be possible to maintain full-time positions and essential student services without increasing revenue. In order for NOC to maintain the quality of instruction and to meet the budget needs for the coming year, the Regents approved a 5.5 percent increase in tuition and mandatory fees at the June board meeting today. This proposed increase will be presented to the State Regents on June 28 and will be on the OSRHE Regents agenda for approval on June 29. The change, if approved, will take effect in the Fall 2017 semester.
For the upcoming Fall 2017 academic year, NOC tuition and mandatory fees will increase as follows (the annual dollar figure is based on students who complete 30 credit hours): NOC Tonkawa and NOC Enid – Tuition and Mandatory Fees Oklahoma residents – 5.5 percent ($190.50 annually) Non-residents – 7.5 percent ($685.50 annually) NOC/OSU Gateway Program in Stillwater — Tuition and Mandatory Fees Oklahoma residents – 6.8 percent ($394.50 annually) Non-residents – 7.8 percent ($889.50 annually)
NOC President Cheryl Evans stated, “We understand the financial sacrifice many of our students and their families make in order to seek a higher education and raising the cost of tuition is not a decision that the college takes lightly; however, this increase will assist in preserving the quality of the student experience at Northern.”
We anticipate that NOC will remain the next to lowest priced tuition out of all 25 public institutions in the state with an annual rate of $3,660 for a full-time resident student. Oklahoma should also remain one of the top five most affordable states to attend college in the nation this year despite a recent study that shows Oklahoma has one of the lowest amounts of state support in the country.
See the NOC website www.noc.edu/tuition after July 1 for the updated cost comparison chart reflecting the pricing structure for each location at which NOC provides classes. Official minutes of the NOC Board of Regents meetings are available online at www.noc.edu.