As of the 2025 summer semester, Parkland College will be introducing a 4.2% tuition increase. Parkland’s Student Government Association (SGA) voted to abstain, while the College Board of Trustees voted in favor of the matter. The outcome means that the per credit hour rate will increase from $178.50 to $186 per credit hour. Sheila Navarrete, president of SGA, explains their reasoning for their vote.
Navarrete has a daunting workload for her role but says it is “truly meaningful” to her. She explains her sentiment by saying, “Holding such a prestigious position means more than just the ability to lead—it provides me with the opportunity to drive real change and make a lasting impact on the school.”
Talking about this change and impact, the tuition increase was first introduced by a proposal to the group. Navarrete details that a few people came to talk to the association, one of those being Michael Trame, Vice President of Student Services. While proposing it, according to Navarrete, Trame stated that it was time to increase tuition because an increase had last occurred three years prior.
SGA then had “an informational meeting about the tuition increase,” ending the meeting with a vote to abstain. She goes on further to explain the ruling by saying “…that vote goes through our Trustee to then take up to the board. We are not the ones solely deciding on whether tuition should be increased or not.”
While the majority rule within SGA was to abstain, there were a few members who voted in favor of the change. According to Navarrete, their reasoning was that they agreed with a few “trusted people who know why it is needed.” Additionally, she explains that Parkland is “still within the normal tuition rate.” Navarrete explains that an increase in tuition can do a lot for the college, such as “paying for our faculty/staff, helping pay for weather damages, getting new equipment, providing more helpful services, and more.”
Understandably, a tuition increase can be worrisome for those concerned about the affordability of higher education. However, Parkland provides a plethora of resources and information to students, so the fee increases are intended to maintain and expand on said resources. By reinforcing its available resources, Parkland hopes to make attending Parkland as rewarding and enjoyable as possible to its students, making sure the college will stand the test of time. And for that, as with most things, more money will bring forth more solutions.
