Sallie Mae will be receiving phone calls from a lot of upset students this week.

When the Committee on Funding Priorities made a recommendation to the University Budget Committee for the 4.5 percent increase for 2005, they were acting on a verbal agreement reached in committee discussion that this was it. CFP members said tuition increases would stay in the area of 4.5 for the next five years, with the exception of a drastic change in circumstance, said former committee member Michael Benson.

But this message did not make it through the Northeastern shuffle.

One year later, Northeastern is asking students for over $1,600 more a year, a rise of over 6 percent, claiming circumstances they could not have foreseen are pushing tuition up.

When the committee met last year, they must have been wearing blinders. Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance Larry Mucciolo attributes the raise partially to the funding needed for the Academic Investment Plan. This is a five-year plan that was set up even before last year’s budget was made.

Now how could they not have seen that coming? And with a master plan already in the works, they also could not foresee the new residence halls that were going to be built?