The administration of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) has gradually started moving to make the institutional adjustments required by the Fiscal Control Board (FCB) to help stabilize public finances.

However, the price to be paid seems to be one of the most extreme, compared to other public entities that have been required to submit a fiscal plan. In fact, within one decade, the UPR could face a $500-million deficit, if it fails to procure a series of projected revenues and savings.

These measures are a combination of previously mentioned proposals—like increasing the cost per credit and eliminating certain waivers—with other proposals implemented by Governor Ricardo Rosselló Nevares through executive decrees and bills that were signed into law.

We have included an outline of the fiscal plan'sproposals for the UPR:

The plan's specific measures to increase revenues

- Increasing the cost per credit: The cost per credit would increase from $56 to $115, which means that undergraduate students will pay a yearly average of $3,765, instead of $2,113. The average tuition cost per year for graduate students would be $3,785, instead of $2,225. Starting in 2023, the average tuition cost per year could reach $4,013 for undergraduate students, an increase equal to 20%.

- New fee structure: This includes adjusted fees for laboratories, graduation, summer maintenance, admission applications, academic transcripts, identification letters, and late enrollment. There would also be new fees for partial and total withdrawals, and for repeated courses. Estimated revenues: $6.4 million per year.

- Increasing federal funding: If certain federally funded research projects are extended, theUniversity could increase its federal revenues by $20 million.

Fundraising measures proposed by the government

- Executive Order 2017-21: Order signed by the governor for the central government to identify possible agreements to be established with the UPR. According to the governor's estimates, this measure could bring the university $50 million by 2018 and $100 million by 2021.

- New health care model: According to the governor, the new health care model—which has not been presented yet—will bring $50 million in additional revenues to the UPR.

- Trainings for the Department of Education: To provide teacher training and student mentoring services. Estimated revenues: $25 million.

- Training for municipal employees: The government will require municipalities to establish agreements with the UPR to train their officials. Estimated revenues: $30 million by next year.

- Monetization of patents with the Science, Technology <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>& Research Trust: An agreement with the Trust to help the university monetize its patents. Estimated revenues: $4 million by 2021./p

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- Measures approved through legislation: The bill submitted by the university students creates a commemorative license plate and registration stamp, and it allocates revenues from the fines imposed for infractions to the medical cannabis law. Estimated revenues: $5.5 million./p

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strongAdditional fundraising measures identified by the UPR/strong/p

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- Virtual University Program: Initiative that seeks to attract new students to take online courses, without needing to attend a physical campus. Estimated revenues: $3 million./p

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- New UPR Foundation: This would serve to reform the current Foundation in order to raise more private funds. Estimated revenues: $25 million./p

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- Privatizing parking lots: Transferring the administration of on-campus parking lots to a private company. Estimated revenues: $30 million./p

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strongOther proposals without amounts/strong/p

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- Night and summer programs: This measure would expand the academic offering for part-time students and improve the graduation rate./p

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- Recruiting foreign students: Especially in the fields of medicine and engineering./p

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- Disposing of property inventory: According to the plan, there are procedures in place to dispose of these properties, with an estimated end date within the second quarter of 2018. This would generate savings in the areas of employment and operations./p

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- Attrition of human resources: The plan establishes an annual attrition rate of 2% for human resources in all of the UPR campuses and facilities. For campuses that are part of the consolidation plan, this rate goes up to 6% between 2019 and 2022. Estimated savings: $134 million by 2026./p

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- Reducing the Christmas bonus: UPR employees will only receive a $600 Christmas bonus, which is the current government standard. By eliminating the special bonus, the UPR will be saving $13 million a year in this area./p

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- Reducing confidencepersonnel: This entails a 20% reduction in confidencepersonnel throughout the entire university system. Estimated savings: $12 million./p

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- Reducing part-time posts: The plan seeks to implement a 50% cutback in this area, which currently includes 332 posts. Estimated savings: $5 million./p

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- Reducing employee health care insurance: According to the plan, the administration will reduce its contribution from $695 to $600 a month. Alternatively, the copay benefits could be reduced, from a 14% minimum in 2018 to a 20% minimum in 2019. Estimated savings: $14.4 million./p

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- Reducing central administration and systemic costs: Expenses incurred in purchasing supplies and other services are expected to be reduced by $13.5 million (they are currently at $148 million). Meanwhile, the aim is to reduce the capital improvement program by $3.25 million (it currently costs $13 million). The plan's estimate is to conclude this process by 2026, generating $30 million in savings for the UPR system./p

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- Consolidating campuses: By grouping the eight smaller campuses with the Río Piedras, Mayagüez, and Cayey campuses. This would generate savings in student-related expenses./p

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- Reducing waivers: The plan states that an evaluation process shall be launched for all waivers granted, seeking to implement a 25% cutback. Estimated savings: $4.55 million/p

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- Reducing special scholarships: The legislative scholarships will be upheld as per the Legislature's approval, while $350,000 will be cut from graduate scholarships, and $100,000 from scholarships for disadvantaged students./p

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strongThe Debt/strong/p

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The UPR pays $48 million per year in debt service, but the plan does not include these payments in its estimates, stating that the aim is to renegotiate the university's debt. The UPR's debt is expected to add up to $470 million by 2028. However, to avoid any further changes to the proposed increases to be able to repay the debt, the UPR must reduce its debt by at least 30% for it to be feasible within the fiscal plan's parameters./p