by Krystal Paco

Guam - If you're a University of Guam student, prepare to pay more out of pocket for tuition.

An approved tuition increase will take effect starting fall semester 2014.

"The tuition increase has already been scheduled. It's already been approved. So we're reminding people about it and at the same time we're advising them on a strategy we have to include the offset of this tuition increase within our budget submission," said Dr. Robert Underwood, UOG president.

For current UOG students or high school grads hoping to attend the Mangilao campus in the fall, the resident undergrad fee of $190 per credit hour will hike by 10% to $209, again by 5% the following year, and another 5% in fall 2016.

A quick look at the numbers shows that for a current undergrad taking 24-creidts and paying close to $5,100 in tuition per year, that'll increase to over $5,500 for fall 2014 and spring 2015 semesters.

The fee increases follow years without any - a feat Underwood says should be celebrated as colleges nationwide continuously picked up their prices.

"The fact that we've been able to keep the tuition flat here at the University of Guam is really a remarkable achievement and its an achievement that is shared by students, the university, the governor, and the legislature," he said.

For UOG Student Government Association president Derick Baza Hills, he welcomes the tuition increase on the condition that the university puts the dollars in the right places. This is in the works thanks to UOG's Good to Great initiative.

"What I believe truly and strongly is that through the good to great initiative that is being unveiled is that the university is looking at downsizing programs that are not benefiting our students and putting resources into programs that are going to benefit our students and maximize results," he said.

We should note, UOG was able to avert tuition increase for two years back in 2012 thanks to an appropriation of $2.8 million from the Guam Legislature and the governor.

A public hearing on the implementation of the tuition increase plan

Is set for Wednesday, March 12 at the Business and Public Administration Building at 2 p.m.

Also up for public hearing is the Retention and On-Time Completion Grant Award Program. The program rewards $1,000 for freshman students who complete 30-credit hours in three semesters and students who complete a bachelors degree in four years.