At the last meeting of the MCC board of trustees, the media focused on the progress in selecting a new president.

But there was another bit of news, related to next year's budget.

"There will be a likely tuition increase," said interim President Larry Tyree.

The size of the increase is unknown, he said, but he wanted to prepare the board. Full-time students who are New York residents currently pay $1,450 a semester.

A tuition increase may be necessary and it may be reasonable; particularly if the state cuts aid to the college in the 2009-10 budget. And Tyree said that he's preparing the budget with that in mind.

If the administration does propose a tuition hike, it should offer a good explanation why. It needs to reconcile the increase with another fact stated during the board meeting: that more students are transferring into the school from other colleges, probably because of the sour economy.