By Stacy Henrie
Out-of-state students attending UVSC are facing another tuition hike.
House Bill 311, passed by the Utah State Legislature late Wednesday night, March 6, requires two years, instead of one, to establish in-state residency.
Rep. Jeff Alexander, R-Lindon, sponsor of the bill, said it would take non-resident students longer to establish residency in Utah.
'The main reason is that too many students are moving in for the sole purpose of going to school and then they leave when they are finished,' Alexander said.
The hope is that students will gain residency and want to stay in the state, he said.
The bill requirements would still be less stringent than other surrounding states, Alexander said.
'Some students come here expecting to pay the full out-of-state tuition for the four years,' he said.
Of the 23,000 students attending Utah Valley State College, 10 percent are non-resident students, said Derek Hall, director of college relations.
A bill like this could only hurt them, Hall said.
The current state law requires out-of-state students to attend school one year before receiving residency, Hall said.
The new bill would require non-resident students to earn 60 credits - approximately two years worth of schooling - before receiving residency, he said.
With out-of-state students paying three and a half times more than in-state students for full-time tuition each semester, students may rethink attending the college, Hall said.
'Almost three thousand dollars a semester is a serious commitment for these students,' he said.
With the largest institute program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the opportunity to attend BYU wards, many out-of-state students opt to attend UVSC, Hall said.
'It''s a simulated BYU experience,' he said.
Although the new bill could have effect on the number of non-resident students choosing to attend UVSC, other colleges in the state will be hurt more than others, Hall said.
Because Dixie, Southern Utah University and Utah State are located near the state border, they will likely feel the greater impact of the bill, he said.
The University of Utah could also be affected because as a large research university, it attracts students from other places, he said.
Gina Peterson, 23, a former UVSC student from Indiana, said the out-of-state tuition she had to pay to attend the school for several semesters was outrageous.
'I think they are just trying to get people to stay away from Utah,' Peterson said.
She said a bill like this would keep people from pursuing their education because they would only be able to take a couple credits at a time.
If parents are not paying for out-of-state students to go to school, those students may choose not to attend school in Utah, she said.
State schools are subsidized by state funds, which means part of in-state student tuition comes from taxes contributed to the state, said Richard White, University Treasurer.
In a similar way, according to the BYU Web site, students who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ have contributed to BYU through tithing funds, and therefore nonmember students are charged higher tuition to equalize the cost.
White said that because the Church subsidizes BYU, a bill dealing with state funds would not affect the University.
'BYU may receive some funds from the State related to research grants, etc., but these funds relate to specific research projects and would not involve in-state versus out-of-state tuition decisions,' White said.