Our View: Rise in tuition is fact of life, still painful

With the State Board of Regents already announcing a 4 percent increase in Tier-I tuition statewide, no one’s jaw dropped when USU officials announced that its students would see another 4 percent increase in Tier-II tuition next fall.

Rising college tuition, at this juncture, is a fact of life. Welcome, students, to the status quo.

But just because the increase isn’t surprising doesn’t mean the $246 per semester increase won’t hit most students where it hurts the most: their wallets.

College students are not notoriously wealthy and, last we checked, nobody’s getting rich waiting tables or taking inbound customer service complaints at 3 in the morning. And at $6 per hour, it would take more than 40 hours to cover the additional cost – before taxes.

Still, USU officials are not to blame for the increase.

This year, the Utah Legislature used a $300 million budget surplus, the largest surplus in years, to knock off 2 percent of the state’s food tax.

With surpluses routinely going to fund road construction or provide temporary tax breaks, the Utah Legislature has shown higher education is not its top priority.

If you’re discouraged by the increase and wonder if you’ll be able to afford college next semester, just know that there will always be work for you fixing Utah’s highways.

If, however, you’re angered by these endless tuition hikes, don’t write a letter to USU President Stan Albrecht – write a letter to your representative and remember that frustration come November when it’s time to cast your ballot.

But if that’s not enough to calm you, maybe you can take solace in the fact that you don’t go to Dixie State, where freshman and sophomores will see a 27.1 percent increase in tuition next fall.

Ouch.