A 5 percent tuition hike is likely in the University of Maryland system next year, top administrators said Thursday.
Republican Gov. Larry Hogan's budget calls for such an increase to make ends meet, legislative analysts said. School officials say they see no way to avoid it unless the system gets more from the state.
Chancellor William E. Kirwan said the $15.4 million increase in Hogan's budget does not cover rising expenses. Combined with a cut made by Gov. Martin O'Malley in January, the university has a $47 million budget hole.
Some schools already imposed a mid-year tuition increase. The cumulative hike means fall 2015 tuition at the University of Maryland at College Park would be 7.1 percent more expensive than last year — the largest increase in a decade, Kirwan said.
"We don't see a way around that," Kirwan said.
Kirwan said the system would continue its hiring freeze, that layoffs would be likely, and key initiatives to expand the number of science, technology, engineering and math degrees would be scaled back.
Without replacing professors who retire, Kirwan said schools will need to offer fewer courses, which would likely delay graduation for seniors who need specific classes to earn their degrees.
"The simple fact is the more we cut the budget, the more students are harmed," Kirwan said in an interview. "It's a terrible balancing act.
James L. Shea, president of the university system's Board of Regents, said no final decision on tuition will be made until after the budget is final in April. But he added, "We don't have many options … It's hard to see how we [avoid)]a 5 percent increase."