Editorial: Students are running out of options as tuition hikes become the norm
On March 14, Utah State University President Noelle Cockett announced to students that USU tuition will increase 3.9 percent for those taking between 12 and 18 credits in 2019. This news comes just a year after Utah State’s latest tuition hike — a 5 percent increase in 2017, which apparently isn’t getting the job done.
The transparency offered by President Cockett and USU Student Association President Michael Peters during the Truth in Tuition event is admirable, but the goal of transparency is to provide insight into how decisions are being made. In this case, it appears not enough consideration has been offered to students already bound by financial constraints. More needs to happen to keep students in school and able to pursue promising careers.
Students aren’t being entirely neglected. The Utah Legislature recently signed House Bill 349 into law, allowing non-residential students to count time spent in Utah toward their 12-month requirement for residency and making in-state tuition more easily attainable for out-of-state students.
But while some efforts are being made to address the climbing cost of a college degree, these efforts do little to mitigate annual tuition hikes. It’s time we as students, administrators, faculty, staff and legislators get more involved with decisions affecting the cost of education for everyone.
Utah State’s standard tuition rate has more than doubled since 2004. Student fees continue to grow with little push-back on the part of our student body. Funding has been pulled in times of recession, never to be seen again despite Utah’s now-growing economy. The state legislature mandates a yearly increase in faculty salaries, yet the weight of that mandate routinely falls on the shoulders of students already struggling to afford degrees with unpaid internships and part-time paychecks.
Students must have more of a voice in these decisions.
Utah State pushes students to “get on the plateau,” meaning taking 15-plus credits per semester. “It’s like every credit from 13-18 is free,” students are told.
But it’s not free. That’s a few less hours to keep up with all other classes, and a few less nights a week for students to earn money for next semester or next month’s rent. It’s more debt accumulated, adding to generational student loans that are approaching crisis levels.
Then add on differential tuition, individual class fees and that $167 required textbook with an $80 access code.
As students leave any university, they leave with high hopes for better jobs, better careers and better pay. But degrees don’t offer the same opportunity for that better pay — and the divide only gets worse as tuition increases. Continually increasing tuition requires a student interested in pursuing a degree like communications, elementary education, fine art degree or something similar to question the financial viability of their degree. Many students switch their majors once the rate of return simply isn’t worth the cost. Others never leave their initial program, fearing the cost of additional semesters in school while the price tag of a four-year degree continues to climb. Students’ dreams shouldn’t be placed on hold because the monster under the bed that is student debt keeps them awake at night.
The question is: Why is tuition increasing? The reason we’ve been given for tuition hikes is the need to match inflation, but tuition has increased at a faster rate. The scariest part is that Utah State is a relatively affordable school. More and more students around the country are required to pick up extra jobs, extra hours or extra student loans. Think about that — a university subsidizing its fancy new buildings and programs with a student body just barely entering the world of credit scores and Roth IRAs.
Like the utter lack of parking and the cost of on-campus food, tuition is on every student’s list of legitimate complaints — and it should not be a passive topic. Action can be taken.
The administration has done its part to be transparent — now it’s up to students to ask some pointed questions to administrators and student officers. If we’ve learned anything this year, it’s that asking where your money is going dollar for dollar can turn up some troubling results.
Administrators need to make sure they’re putting students first. Cutting costs to keep tuition low and making wise spending decisions should be a top priority — with students active in the decision-making process. USU has been around for a long time, and while maintaining a historic university’s reputation certainly requires sufficient funds, not all costs need to be as high or as enduring.
Faculty and staff need to work with students and administration, often as the liaison, to find solutions that work for both parties. The Faculty Senate has a lot of sway on campus — that influence should be used to represent the best interests of all, and their proceedings should have full transparency to maintain the trust of students.
Finally, our state legislators need to put a larger focus on education. Education is one of the four pillars of Utah’s growth plan, but talk is cheap. Funding for education should not be in question year to year, it should be secure. Every student who comes to Utah for an education should know they’re coming to a place which prioritizes its students above all else.