Don’t get me wrong, the rising cost of college tuition is a real issue. it has been made worse by the “everyone needs to go to college” mentality.
That said, this editorial from The Huntsville Times makes little sense…
Some day, Alabama lawmakers must make the connection that a hard-line stand against taxes doesn’t always translate to savings for taxpayers.
The latest round of tuition increases at Alabama colleges is yet again an example of the “pass-the-buck” syndrome” of legislatures present and past.
[...]
The University of Alabama System board of trustees approved tuition increases Friday at campuses in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and Huntsville. Students at UAH will face an 8.6 percent increase, bringing the cost for two semesters to $8,794. That follows an 8 percent tuition increase last year.
A 7 percent increase was approved for UA’s main campus, raising tuition there to $9,200. Tuition at the main campus rose 8.9 percent last year.
Year after year tuition increases have occurred at other public universities across the state. In April, the Auburn University board of trustees approved an 8 percent tuition increase for undergraduate students and a 9 percent increase for graduate students. That follows a 4 percent tuition boost last year and a first-ever $400 per year “proration fee.”
And just last week, Alabama A&M’s board of trustees approved a 5 percent increase in tuition. It’s the third straight year Alabama A&M has raised tuition. Tuition there jumped 9 percent last year and 23 percent in 2010.
Solution?
nah…
Tuition isn’t the only solution to keep those economic engines running. Continual tuition hikes, without serious consideration to other alternatives, are much like the pass-the-buck syndrome plaguing legislators.
Now let’s toss in some worthless platitudes…
Quality public schools are invaluable to a community.
Alabama’s universities, their researchers and programs are also vital in bringing recognition to the state and being a catalyst for expanding industries.
The question remains how to assure that. At the rate colleges are raising tuition, they are keeping the “higher” in higher education.
Don’t raise tuition, but raise taxes.
So the entire nonsensical point of this editorial is that rising tuition shifts the cost to the user?
Who are the users?
College students.
How is that “passing the buck”?
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