Nevada College Students Face Five Percent Fee Hike, Employees Awarded Double-Digit Raises

After a unanimous decision by the NHSE Board of Regents, Nevada college students will see a five percent increase in student registration fees, non-resident tuition and distance education tuition starting October 2024. College faculty will receive a raise of 11 percent as a cost of living adjustment for the 2025 fiscal year.

As reported by the Review Journal, Regent Heather Brown spun the benefits of taxing students to pay for multiple raises for faculty and administrative staff:

The vast majority of the student increases will go toward employee raises. But between 10 and 15 percent will be “dedicated to student access,” according to online meeting materials.

Regent Heather Brown said the fee increase for students is not insignificant, but she thinks it will have an immediate return on investment.

“This difference is actually asking students to further invest in their own future,” she said.

It’s critical to recognize that investing in faculty is investing in the quality of education provided, Brown said, noting it’s a strategic step toward retaining and attracting top talent.

The article further notes that college faculty and staff will have received a 23 percent raise from July 2023 to October 2024 due to inflation.

About 7,200 NSHE professional employees — including academic and administrative faculty — already received a 12 percent cost of living adjustment July 1. They’ll receive the October pay hike as well.

Classified employees — typically, employees whose jobs don’t require certification — automatically received the full 12 percent raise this year. They’ll also receive the full 11 percent raise starting July 1, 2024.

As The Globe reported, inflation is hitting Nevadans the hardest.

The average Nevadan household must spend an additional $13,296 annually just to maintain the same standard of living they enjoyed in January of 2021, right before inflation soared to 40-year highs, according to a recent analysis of government data.

To break it down further, Bidenflation adds up to an ongoing extra $1,108 monthly cost per Nevada household. Nevadans are spending an additional $146 on food, $237 on shelter, and $324 on energy costs than they were since Biden took office.