BEATRICE – Southeast Community College Board members have set tuition and fees for the next academic year.
The board Tuesday voted to hold tuition flat at $102 per credit hour, but increase student fees by three dollars, to $12 per credit hour. That represents an overall increase of about 2.7%. Board member Dr. Ellen Weissinger, of Lincoln said holding tuition flat is the right approach.

"It seems really responsible. It acknowledges the difficult times that a lot of our students and their families are going through, but also acknowledges the very real value to them of the strategic plans for facilities."

A student taking 30 hours a semester would pay $3,420 in tuition and fees, under the plan approved by the college board. That level is about the mid-range of six community colleges in Nebraska.
Tuition makes up about 20% of the Southeast Community College revenue, something Weissinger says must be appropriately balanced with funding obtained from property tax and state aid.

"None of us want to see costs to students accelerate quickly or dramatically. But, I think it is responsible to students and the community as a whole in these fifteen counties, to begin to rebalance that mix, again."

Property tax makes up about 49% of college revenue, while state aid produces about 30%. Meeting by virtual means, the SCC Board also approved room and board at the Beatrice and Milford campuses, for the academic year beginning in the fall. The SCC tuition and fees will apply to both in-state and out-of-state students.

Meanwhile, SCC President Paul Illich said he’s proud of how staff and students have reacted to the coronavirus pandemic, as the school completes this year’s first semester. He cited student comments about the options of in-person and remote learning.
"We allowed them to finish out, gave them the experience that they wanted and that really was at the individual level. Those that needed to come in virtually, could....those that wanted that face-to-face experience could do that. They were just to happy and appreciative that we were able to keep them safe and continue to operate."

This is the week of finals being completed for the first semester. Illich says operating in a pandemic has been a process of weighing the benefit against the risk, while following public health safety and security recommendations.

SCC is in the process of hiring some part-time case specialists on Covid-19….to ease work pressure on about twenty employees who have been doing contact tracing in addition to their usual duties. The positions will be paid for by CARES Act funds that remain.

Southeast Community College bid farewell to a lot of experience, on Tuesday.
Board members Lynn Schluckebier, of Seward….Bob Feit, of Lincoln….and Tim Cerveny, of Wilber were attending their final meetings as members of the SCC Board of Governors. Between them, they have 48 years of experience in governing the community college.

SCC also honored Lynda Heiden, who for 41 years has been an administrative assistant to several Southeast Community College Presidents, and has been the Board of Governors recording secretary, taking minutes at meetings. She also served with the Southeast Community College Foundation.