Proposed Fee Increases Under Review By Hillsborough Community College Board

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — The Hillsborough Community College District Board of Trustees (BOT) will review proposed fee increases at a meeting to be held virtually on Oct. 28 at 4 p.m.

The purpose of the proposed new fees are limited to covering costs incurred by the College and will not generate a profit. All fee proceeds listed will be used to pay for consumable lab materials, equipment maintenance and repair, and supplementary instruction expenses.

If approved by the BOT, the proposed fees will go into effect in spring 2021.

Firefighter CCP: The proposed fees cover the costs incurred by the College and will not generate a profit. Student fees are required for consumable lab supplies, equipment maintenance and repair, and supplementary instruction expenses. Total proposed student fees for the Firefighter CCP program are $1,646 per student.

This new Career Certificate Program (CCP formally PSAV) is replacing the current Firefighter CCP program because the Florida Department of Education and Bureau of Fire Standards mandated changing the curriculum and increasing the number of training hours required to complete it.

The current program requires 398 clock hours of training while the new program requires 492 hours, an increase of 94 clock hours. Fees for the current program total $1,375 per student. While the total new program fees are higher by $271, the cost of a clock hour actually decreases slightly from $3.45 to $3.34 for students enrolling in the new program.

FFP 0030 Fire I Laboratory – The proposed fee is $627 per student per semester. Student fees are for consumable lab supplies, equipment maintenance and repair, and supplementary instruction expenses. This is essentially the same cost as charged for the first course in the current program sequence.

Total Cost for 25 Students/Class
$15,675
Cost per Student
$627
Supplies: Equipment testing training supplies, burn building propane, LPG propane, nitrogen fog solution, fire fuel, ladder parts, fire hose supplies, fire extinguisher refills, safety equipment PPE decontamination supplies, supplies to maintain equipment, equipment fuel, SCBA batteries, SCBA refills, workbooks and handouts, and exam materials.

Maintenance: Burn buildings, exterior burn prop, gas system, water supply system, simulator, extrication equipment, fire extinguishers, air compressors, SCBA pack, SCBA Cylinder, rehab equipment, and other apparatuses.

Supplemental Instruction

FFP 0031 Fire II Laboratory – The proposed fee is $1,019 per student/semester. Student fees are for consumable lab supplies, equipment maintenance and repair, and supplementary instruction expenses. The length of this new course is significantly longer than the second course in the current program sequence. An Analysis of course costs determined that consumable materials for students to complete the labs exceed the currently charged fee. The current fee for this course is $788 and the new course fee would be $1,019 or an increase of $271 per student.

Total Cost for 25 Students/Class
$25,475
Cost per Student
$1,019
Supplies: Equipment testing training supplies, burn building propane, LPG propane, nitrogen fog solution, fire fuel, ladder parts, fire hose supplies, fire extinguisher refills, safety equipment PPE decontamination supplies, supplies to maintain equipment, equipment fuel, SCBA batteries, SCBA refills, workbooks and handouts, and exam materials.
Maintenance: Burn buildings, exterior burn prop, gas system, water supply system, simulator, extrication equipment, fire extinguishers, air compressors, SCBA pack, SCBA Cylinder, rehab equipment, and other apparatuses.

Supplemental Instruction

This press release was produced by the Hillsborough Community College. The views expressed are the author's own.