U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg has raised questions over a proposed merger of two South Jersey colleges, including concerns over the impact on tuition costs and employment at the combined university.
Lautenberg raised his concerns in a letter today to Gov. Chris Christie, who has endorsed a controversial merger of Rutgers-Camden and Glassboro-based Rowan University.
In the letter, Lautenberg noted “the price of attending Rowan University is, on average, $5,000-$8,000 more than attending Rutgers-Camden.” Lautenberg then asked if the merger would boost tuition costs for current Rutgers-Camden students, and whether accommodations would be made for those who could not afford the higher cost.
Lautenberg also asked Christie to provide information about the mergers’ impact on the more than 600 employees at Rutgers-Camden, including union members and those with contracts. He also questioned the impact on federal funding at the schools and the expected status of other Rutgers facilities in South Jersey, including the Pinelands Field Station in New Lisbon.
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