Deficit threatens one-fourth of Ivy Tech's sites

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Mounting budget woes could force Ivy Tech Community College to close of up to a quarter of its school sites around Indiana.

Ivy Tech President Tom Snyder tells The Indianapolis Star the proposed closures and a planned tuition increase are "the only way to move the needle" to deal with the school's $68 million deficit.

Administrators will conduct a cost-benefit analysis this summer of about 50 of Ivy Tech's 72 locations.

Ivy Tech senior vice president Jeff Terp says those sites operate through lease agreements without state support and about 20 of them could be closed.

State officials hope Ivy Tech can retool its operations without significantly affecting students. The statewide system is crucial to Indiana's goal of doubling its adult population with college degrees or certificates.