Puerto Rico university seeks to double fees amid crisis

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico's largest public university says it is planning to double its course fees following demands that it slash its budget amid a dire economic crisis.

Starting next year, students seeking a bachelor's degree at the University of Puerto Rico could pay up to $115 per credit instead of $56, while those seeking a master's degree could pay $270 instead of $140 per credit under plans approved late Monday by the university board. The fees would go into effect next year, and officials warn that another 20 percent increase could be implemented if needed.

The university on Tuesday is expected to submit its fiscal plan to the federal control board overseeing Puerto Rico's finances.

It is the latest hit for a university that reopened in June following a two-month strike organized by students protesting $450 million in proposed budget cuts sought by the control board. The demands coupled with the strike led to the resignation of several top university officials, including two presidents and three board members.

Student leaders rejected the proposed increases and said they would limit access to education for thousands of people living on an island with a 12 percent unemployment rate and a 45 percent poverty rate.

"This will only contribute to the migration, the economic crisis and the high unemployment rate that we currently face," said Wilmari de Jesus, student council president at the university's main campus.

University officials say the increases would generate more than $100 million a year, part of which would offset a new scholarship fund worth $50 million.

Some 61,000 students are enrolled at the 11 campuses at the University of Puerto Rico, and about 70 percent qualify for federal aid. The university has seen an increase in enrollment from nearly 56,000 students in 2013 to more than 62,000 last year.

The board also is considering an increase in lab, graduation, admission application and transcription fees, among other things.