Tuition at Paris Junior College is on the rise for the second year in a row as the board of regents voted Monday to increase tuition by $2 per semester for the 2023-24 school year.
“We went up $2 last year,” Anglin said. “So, honestly, I thought we were going to try to pay $2 again, and I’m saying that because I see the students that we’re dealing with and I see how many of them can’t pay.”
The increase raises the cost to $61 per credit hour per semester for in-district students, $61 per credit hour per semester for out-of-district students and $161 per credit hour per semester for non-resident students, Anglin said.
Documents provided to the regents also revealed that general junior college fees will remain unchanged, with in-district students paying $25 per semester and out-of-district students paying $50 per semester.
The increase will take effect in the fall semester of 2023.
Regents also voted to ban TikTok and other foreign software and hardware developers from its devices and networks to comply with Gov. Greg Abbott’s security plan, which bans several Russian, Chinese and other foreign developers over privacy concerns.
“It is critical that state agencies and employees are protected from vulnerabilities created by the use of the app and other prohibited technologies while working on behalf of their fellow Texans,” Abbott said in a statement announcing the statewide plan.
While Abbott’s guidelines required state agencies to update their policies by Feb. 15, the regents were several weeks behind schedule as they voted Monday to ban the companies from all PJC devices and networks.
The board heard several reports from Anglin and several regents on potential grant funding, legislative updates and a recent trip to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board leadership conference.
Anglin told the regents that he recently attended a Senate Finance Committee meeting in Austin to hear from lawmakers about a new funding model for Texas community colleges.
“I think it’s all very positive,” Anglin told the regents. “This is critical to ensuring the state of Texas has the workforce it needs in the future, and it’s a game-changer.”
According to The Texas Tribune, the Community College Finance Committee voted to switch to a results-based funding model in 2022, which state leaders say will meet growing demand and better align academic programs with workforce needs.
For decades, Texas has funded its community colleges through property taxes, student tuition and the state funding system, which now accounts for less than 25% of funding. two-year colleges, according to The Texas Tribune.
The board approved an early start agreement with Balfour Beatty Construction to purchase electrical switchgear and insurance not to exceed $197,000 for a future workforce building at the Paris campus.
Other approvals include the continuation of a two-year escrow agreement with Guaranty Bank and Trust and the authorization of seven other local and Texas brokers to place future investment funds.
With the renovations complete, the regents will hold their next meeting on March 27 in their council chamber at 2400 Clarksville St, Anglin said.
Before adjourning, the board held an executive session to approve the resignations of Superintendent Debra Craig, Adult Education and Family Literacy Career Navigator Mike Minihan, and the upcoming retirement of Jewelry Educator Shannon Calloway.
Before adjourning, the board held an executive session to approve the resignations of Superintendent Debra Craig, Adult Education and Family Literacy Career Navigator Mike Minihan, and the upcoming retirement of Jewelry Educator Shannon Calloway.
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