by Krystal Paco

Guam - The University of Guam will hold a public hearing this Thursday on a proposed 10 percent tuition rate hike that would take effect in the spring semester. UOG acting president Dr. Helen Whippy says a tuition hike isn't welcomed by the college or students, but may be necessary since the student population has grown over the years but appropriations from the government have remained the same.

She explained, "We really feel that with a tuition increase our students would be burdened quite a bit. Right at the moment about 50 percent of the actual cost of a student going to the university say it's a little over $10,000, 50 percent of that is paid by the student or some sort of financial aid. If we were to raise tuition, that would tip the balance and it would be more than 50 percent, and that's a large burden for our students."

For a full-time student taking 12-credit hours, the tuition hike would mean increased fees estimated at around $228 per semester. The public hearing is set to take place at UOG on Thursday at 2pm.