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Mountain College raises 2016-17 tuition

Facing declining funding from the state and property taxes next year by as much as $3 million but escalating operating costs, the Colorado Mountain College (CMC) Board of Trustees voted during its January 2016 meeting to increase tuition and fees for certain students.

While tuition for bachelor’s-level courses will remain unchanged for all students for the third straight year — maintaining CMC’s position as the third-most affordable bachelor’s degree in the nation — other programs and areas of study will see rising costs next academic year. Specifically:

-In-district associate-level tuition will increase by $5/credit hour to $62



-Service area associate-level tuition will increase by $20/credit hour to $123

-In-state associate-level tuition will increase by $20/credit hour to $127



-Out-of-state associate-level tuition will increase by $56/credit hour to $429

-Industry rate associate-level tuition will increase by $20/credit hour to $139

-English Second Language fee will increase by $10/credit equivalent to $20

-GED fee will increase by $10/credit equivalent to $20

New or revised course and program fees include:

-First-year engineering projects course fee: $50

-Outdoor emergency care course fee: $140

-Isaacson School for New Media program fee: $300 for storage media

-Culinary arts for the Vail Valley program fee: $600 for knives, uniforms

-Restaurant management program fee: $395 for manual

CMC’s entire board and college leadership said they remain committed to keeping its education affordable and accessible to all students and populations, so trustees directed staff to set aside some remaining revenues from the current fiscal year to develop a fund of targeted financial aid for students who may be impacted by changed in college costs in the coming year. Those who may qualify include middle-income students who might not otherwise be eligible for federal aid, as well as nontraditional adult students returning to college.

Trustees also voted to approve a new technology fee for credit students of anywhere between $3 and $50 per semester, based on the number of credits taken. These fees will be used to help cover the cost of expanded wireless networks on campuses, Internet broadband capacities, and supporting maintenance and upgrades to student computer labs.

Also approved were several modifications to the military tuition discount to ensure the program is both financially sustainable and appropriately coordinated with other sources of federal financial aid and military benefits.

The board additionally rubber-stamped a new residence hall technology fee of $100 per term, which will be used to support high-speed wireless broadband to the students who live in CMC residence halls. They voted to permit the college administration to set 2016-17 room and board rates, not to exceed 110 percent of current rates.

Summit jazz band attends workshop

Students in the Summit High School Jazz Band were treated to a special workshop with the renowned Michael Friedman Jazz Quintet on Friday, Jan. 22.

Students rehearsed and performed with Friedman and his fellow musicians, learning from some of Colorado’s finest. The band is currently preparing for its upcoming performance, “Dancing & Delectables,” a music department fundraise featuring swing dance lessons and tasty treats.

“It was great to see all of our kids really diving into jazz and having such a great time jamming with the Michael Friedman Quintet,’ Karen Olsen, Summit High School’s instrumental music director, in a news release. “It was such a hands-on, musically meaningful event.”

The workshop was a collaboration between the Breckenridge Music Festival’s “Music in Schools” program, Think 360 Arts in Denver, and the Summit High School Jazz program, and made possible in part by funding from The Summit Foundation.

Mark your calendars for “Dancing & Delectables,” Wednesday, Feb. 3, 6-9:30 p.m. at the Silverthorne Pavilion (400 Blue River Pkwy).

Two students earn All-State accolades

Summit High School students, Cait McCluskie and Ryan Snell, each picked up All-State nods last week.

McCluskie, a senior in the high school’s advanced choir the Summit Singers, was selected to participate in the 2016 All-State Mixed Choir. She was chosen to sing Alto 1 in the most prestigious of three choirs, and plans to pursue a career in the performing arts with a focus on musical theater.

A total of 1,644 students auditioned for a position and 224 slots were granted for this select chorus of the state’s leading singers. The All-State Choir performs at the Bellco Theater in Denver (700 14th St) on Saturday, Feb. 6.

Snell, a sophomore trumpet player and section leader in the high school’s symphonic band, earned an alternate roster spot on the All-State Concert Band.

The All-State Concert Band is comprised of 106 of the top performing musicians in the state and represents 49 high schools. In full, 877 seniors, juniors and sophomores from 152 high schools participated in auditions.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect the correct CMC tuition increases. The Summit Daily News regrets the error.


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