Letters to the Editor: Elect Bryan Mielke to control, combat rising university tuition
I am writing in support of Bryan Mielke for Michigan State Representative for the 99th district.
As students return to Central Michigan University this fall, they find higher tuition bills and fewer ways to pay them. No issue is more important to me than education, which is why I’ve dedicated my life to studying college students and higher education. The benefits of college are clear: those who graduate from college have a better quality of life, earn more money, and contribute positively to society in many ways.
What is also clear is that funding higher education is not a priority for our Michigan legislators. In fact, funding education has been steadily gutted for years.
As the first person in my family to attend college, I know the importance of education. Since I attended college, I have watched the cost soar. I started my undergraduate degree 17 years ago, and since then, tuition has increased 386 percent here at Central Michigan University, which is in our 99th district—the district Bryan Mielke is running to represent. It is no coincidence that tuition has increased as a result of a continued cuts from Lansing. While state appropriations made up 60 percent of CMU’s operating budget when I began college, today it only accounts for 17 percent. This has, in turn, saddled our students with tremendous student debt.
Bryan understands what’s happening in education and will fight for increased funding. He shares my vision for funding public education, helping students access higher education, and making sure when they leave college, they are not burdened with debt. Bryan is also a two-time CMU graduate and a fierce advocate for our university. I ask that you join me in voting for Bryan Mielke on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Signed,
Matt Johnson
Associate Professor
Program Director, MA in Higher Education
Department of Educational Leadership - EHS341
Central Michigan University
