Temple budgets for gloomy economy

Temple University’s newly approved budget contains the smallest tuition increase in 13 years. For the new academic year, it’s just 2.9 percent. The budget also boosts university financial aid by 21 million dollars.

Temple University’s newly approved budget contains the smallest tuition increase in 13 years. For the new academic year, it’s just 2.9 percent. The budget also boosts university financial aid by 21 million dollars.

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[audio: 090424sbtemple.mp3]

Temple Spokesman Ray Betzner says the move is an effort to draw more students in the troubled economy. He says students and their families are apprehensive, and have been saying so to the university.

Betzner: Are my parents going to remain employed? Is the company that they work for going to continue to be healthy? So as they try to project over the next several months and then four years down the line, there’s a lot of uncertainty.

The budget reduces university spending by about 5 percent, or 40 million dollars. Some of that will be achieved through previously announced staff layoffs.

The savings will go to increase financial aid, and to cover the university’s rising utility costs and contractual obligations.