CTA Financial Problems May Plague Students
Adriana Rosales
Issue date: 11/1/08 Section: News
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is once again having financial problems causing a future increase in fares and possibly student activity fees. In response to these problems, CTA President Ron Huberman recently introduced cost-cutting measures to reduce high fuel costs, loss of government funds, reduced fare rides and new free ride programs.
CTA's proposed budget includes an across-the-board fare increase; this will begin January 2009 and generate an estimated $42.1 million. Cash fares would be raised $.25 and pass fares will be increased as well under this proposal, which will be the first time since 1998 that pass fares will be increased. The price, however, will remain below 1998 levels, and reduced fares will remain the same, so the most vulnerable riders are unaffected.
Will this affect activity fees, Wright College Vice President, Cynthia Cordes said that, "For Spring, I don't believe there is an increase in either tuition or fees. Now, next fall, because everything will have to be presented to the board, any fee increases, any tuition raises would all have to be presented to the Board of Trustees of the city colleges in Chicago before anything would be raised. So, students who attend Wright in the spring aren't going to face an increase." Cordes said that the increase might take place in the fall of 2009. "I do know that the Colleges surrounding Chicago are raising their fees, including Triton and Oakton; but the city colleges haven't done so in a number of years." There have been a few proposals, but none of them have been accepted yet. Funding for community colleges in Illinois, Cordes says, is broken down into a 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 structure: 1/3 of operating money comes from student tuition and fees, another third comes from state support, the final third comes from local taxes. "All of that is wildly out of balance right now, and I'm not sure who's in the lead of paying the most; but the state looks at us from a physical standpoint whether we're not charging enough or charging to much." Cordes added, "So, there are all these colleges fighting for tax dollars making the competition stronger." ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
CTA's proposed budget includes an across-the-board fare increase; this will begin January 2009 and generate an estimated $42.1 million. Cash fares would be raised $.25 and pass fares will be increased as well under this proposal, which will be the first time since 1998 that pass fares will be increased. The price, however, will remain below 1998 levels, and reduced fares will remain the same, so the most vulnerable riders are unaffected.
Will this affect activity fees, Wright College Vice President, Cynthia Cordes said that, "For Spring, I don't believe there is an increase in either tuition or fees. Now, next fall, because everything will have to be presented to the board, any fee increases, any tuition raises would all have to be presented to the Board of Trustees of the city colleges in Chicago before anything would be raised. So, students who attend Wright in the spring aren't going to face an increase." Cordes said that the increase might take place in the fall of 2009. "I do know that the Colleges surrounding Chicago are raising their fees, including Triton and Oakton; but the city colleges haven't done so in a number of years." There have been a few proposals, but none of them have been accepted yet. Funding for community colleges in Illinois, Cordes says, is broken down into a 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 structure: 1/3 of operating money comes from student tuition and fees, another third comes from state support, the final third comes from local taxes. "All of that is wildly out of balance right now, and I'm not sure who's in the lead of paying the most; but the state looks at us from a physical standpoint whether we're not charging enough or charging to much." Cordes added, "So, there are all these colleges fighting for tax dollars making the competition stronger." ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
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