NJ taxpayers to pay millions in state aid to Rutgers amid tuition increase
Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway says the increase is partially due to the labor deal that increased faculty salaries.
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New Jersey taxpayers will have to pay for millions of dollars in state aid to Rutgers University this fiscal year.
It comes as the university leadership voted to raise tuition and fees for students by an average of $400 per semester.
The Rutgers University Board of Governors says that the tuition increases are due to salary increases won by Rutgers faculty who went on strike earlier this year during contract negotiations. The board also cited inflation and other costs.
Both the unions and Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway said they expected to need some taxpayer money for salaries. Parents and incoming students this fall may be surprised they're also paying more.
RELATED: Officials: Rutgers University tuition to increase 6% as board approves $5.4 billion budget
Gov. Phil Murphy stated in April that he was not a fan of any tuition increases.
“I’m not a fan of a [contract] deal that’s on the back of our students,” Murphy said during an April 10 meeting.
But the Board of Governors on Monday approved the university’s $5.4 billion budget for the year, which included a 6% tuition and fee increase, a 7% increase in meal plan costs and a 5% increase for student housing.
Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway says the increase is partially due to the labor deal that increased faculty salaries.
On Monday, the governor said the $33 million increase in state aid that Rutgers is also getting was part of an overall increase in aid for New Jersey colleges and universities.
“We plussed up - which we were going to do in any event - higher education funding across the board, including for Rutgers and that’s a smart move,” Murphy said.
Democratic Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin wrote on Twitter on Monday that he was “disappointed with the overall size of (the) tuition increase” given the record amount of state support for the state’s largest university.
A spokeswoman for Murphy’s office said the state funding to universities can be used for "a number of different operating costs."
