Unemployment isn\u2019t the only thing going up.<\/p>\n
Miami Dade College President Eduardo Padr\u00f3n has approved a plan to charge students a $3 perncredit access and parking fee beginning in the fall of 2011, according to College Provost Rolando Montoya.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s never a pleasure at a public institution to increase any type of fee,\u201d Montoya said. \u201cBut little by little, the state has been reducing our income.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lourdes Perez, the dean of students at the InterAmerican Campus, said via e-mail that as of 2009, MDC has lost 18.8% in dollars in funding per full-time equivalent student.<\/p>\n
In addition, MDC saw a six percent increase in its student population this semester alone, making it arduous for the institution to sustain itself, according to Perez.<\/p>\n
All parking and access fees will go toward construction, the hiring of public safety patrols, parking attendants and operational expenses college-wide.<\/p>\n
Future projects include building parking garages at Hialeah, West and the Wolfson Campuses.<\/p>\n
According to Montoya, most intuitions charge their students parking fees.<\/p>\n
For example: Broward College also charges a $3 per credit hour access and parking fee; Florida International University charges $6.09, according North Campus Dean of Administration Cristina Mateo.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fact that parking was free was uncommon and rare; we were unable to sustain it,\u201d Montoya said.<\/p>\n
The access and parking fee will automatically be included with tuition. For instance, a student taking 12 credits\u2014regardless if they have a vehicle or not\u2014will be charged $36 that semester.<\/p>\n
Gilbert Gil, a 21-year-old film production major at North Campus, said the charge is upsetting.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have to pay for books, classes, food and rent myself,\u201d Gil said. \u201cI take 12 credits, have a full-time job, and have to help my parents. I don\u2019t know how I will afford it, every penny counts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Davin Sosa, a 19-year-old music major at the Kendall Campus agrees.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s just ridiculous. I don\u2019t even have a car,\u201d Sosa said.<\/p>\n
However, North Campus Student Government President Hafeeza Rahman supports the measure.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really believe that I\u2019d rather pay more for the comfort of everyone, instead of paying less and having our facility not be up to par,\u201d Rahman said.<\/p>\n
Access and parking fees are not all that will be implemented.<\/p>\n
On Oct. 18, MDC increased its admission application fee from $20 to $30; the fee had not been increased since the fall of 1998. International students will be charged $50 instead of $20. According to Perez, most community colleges in Florida charge $25 and above.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe looked across the state, and compared application fees,” Perez said. “We are really not getting the funds we need from the state. So we decided to come up with a way to raise funds that won\u2019t hit the students hard.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to the college admission fee\u2014next fall, a $25 bachelor degree program application fee will be created.<\/p>\n
The College-Level Examination Program registration form will also rise from $15 to $30 per credit.<\/p>\n
CLEP offers the opportunity for students to earn college credits by passing an exam that tests their competency in a specific subject. Perez said that most community colleges in the state charge between $30 and $50.<\/p>\n
All of the College\u2019s revenue is centralized; the district of administration disburses funds and uses them on a priority need basis, Montoya said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe needed to find alternative ways to cover the institution,\u201d Montoya added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Unemployment isn\u2019t the only thing going up. Miami Dade College President Eduardo Padr\u00f3n has approved a plan to charge students a $3 perncredit access and parking fee beginning in the fall of 2011, according to College Provost Rolando Montoya. \u201cIt\u2019s never a pleasure at a public institution to increase any type of fee,\u201d Montoya said. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":315,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[651],"class_list":{"0":"post-7975","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-news","7":"tag-parking"},"yoast_head":"\n