Utah schools look at plan to get student input in tuition issues
In an attempt to safeguard Utah students from tuition increases, student leaders in Utah’s colleges and universities are proposing to the Legislature a program that would require proposed tuition increases be advertised in the student newspaper and other general-content newspapers within the institutional area.
Truth in Tuition, as the program is called, would also mandate a public hearing be held to inform students and the community of any tuition increase and allow them to voice concerns.
“[Truth in Tuition] is still in the formative stages,” said Ben Riley, president of the Associated Students of Utah State University, who is working to get the program passed by the Utah Legislature.
Riley said Truth in Tuition is a life-insurance policy to cover students’ backs in case the “second-tier” proposal becomes reality.
Under the second-tier proposal, the Utah State Board of Regents would propose a base “across-the-board” tuition increase, and the presidents of Utah’s universities and colleges could request a second-tier tuition increase be made for their specific schools for any reason they deem necessary.
Truth in Tuition stipulates that second-tier tuition increases be limited to one per academic year, except in emergency situations.
“As far as [USU], I’m not as concerned [that President Kermit L. Hall would issue a tuition increase],” Riley said. “But I am concerned for other schools and especially for our constituencies. It is not fair to our constituencies to raise tuition cost again and again.”
Last November the Board of Regents decided to propose a 4 percent tuition increase in Utah’s nine higher education institutions. The board is also considering proposing an additional 1 to 2 percent increase in March.
Riley said this is exactly what Truth in Tuition would protect against.
“It is not fair to incoming freshman who have to pay more in tuition than they actually planned for when looking at which school to go to,” Riley said. “They won’t be making allowances for the extra 1 or 2 percent increase in tuition cost.”
During the American Revolution, the plea “no taxation without representation” was a common refrain, Riley said. Just as the revolutionaries desired for their voices to be heard, “we also want representation. We want to feel comfortable,” he said. “We want to have a say. If we are to shoulder the burden of $1,200 [for tuition] a semester, our rights as students need to be represented.”
Truth in Tuition still has far to go before becoming law, Riley said.
Details must be ironed out and it must be worded formally before it can be proposed to the Legislature.