Freeze tuition
In her State of the State address, Gov. Jennifer Granholm is expected to put pressure on public universities to halt tuition increases.
And she should.
The pressure would tie directly to funding from the federal economic stimulus packages. Universities that keep tuition constant would receive more funds.
This is perfectly consistent with the aim of the stimulus: to get the economy back on its feet. Doing so requires educating more of the American workforce. Universities play an essential role.
But this role is fulfilled only if Americans are reasonably able to afford a university education.
Last year, tuition increased an average of 7 percent statewide. Central Michigan University increased its undergraduate rate by 6.6 percent, to $324 per credit hour.
The stimulus funds need to focus on making a university education accessible. This requires that it be as affordable as possible. It is appropriate to pressure universities to use their supplemental funds mostly to keep costs low.
Admittedly, dwindling state allocations and rising costs contributed to the rising price of tuition. And university officials may be skeptical that stimulus funding will be adequate to maintain operations without raising tuition.
Further discussion is needed between university and public officials. But both parties' concerns can be allayed.
Universities will need to indicate they are trimming costs as much as possible without sacrificing their educational ability. This requires a primary commitment to faculty and students. This requires deferring costly construction projects that are not necessary at this time.
State officials need to indicate that, on top of stimulus funding, they are seeking to increase state allocations to help universities remain financially solvent without falling back on tuition hikes. Michigan ranks last in state allocations to higher education. Of course the state is in poor economic shape; of course legislators face enormous pressure to balance their budgets.
However, if state officials are going to take seriously the accessibility of quality education, they must place it toward the top of their priorities. They cannot reasonably require that universities keep tuition constant without providing ample support for their doing so.
Keeping tuition constant is paramount - and Granholm's push for steady tuition should remain.
But the push is only a start, and coupled with federal funding, it should lay the groundwork for a revitalized state commitment to higher education.
