Letter: Tuition proposal not plausible

Editor:

I was appalled at the news that USU is proposing a significant tuition increase of 43 percent, after an already significant increase over the past five years. I understand two reasons to raise tuition are: We are currently below the tuition of other Universities, and to help pay for a shortfall from the state Legislature. Though I understand both of these issues, I fail to see their merit.

They argue the state Legislature is no longer providing the same funding, yet they have funding to build more and more extravagant buildings. The new multi-million dollar library is rumored to have a robotic librarian that will store our books in a “cement vault.” The university decided to construct a new library to prevent loosing the money that was earmarked. Yet it’s the students that will have to pay the significant costs of maintaining and operating the building, robotic librarian included. As a student, I would rather have a $5 latch for the business buildings men’s room, then a multi-million dollar library with robotic librarian.

I would also be happy to pay an extra $49.58 per semester (3 percent increase), to bring our tuition to the average of the largest schools in Utah. I would even be willing to pay an additional $98 per semester (6 percent increase), which would be the highest tuition of the largest schools in Utah. In exchange, the university should provide access to a medical and law school, a respected and successful athletic program and the same national recognition that these schools command. If we are asking students to pay the same tuition as other schools, the university should provide the same services.

Rather then enslaving students by forcing them to borrow more money to pay for school, the university should cut back on bells and whistles and offer a decent education. This is why I came to USU. But if they force us to pay more then other schools in Utah, they must be prepared to offer the same services. Otherwise, they will find they will lose myself, and others students, to the schools down the road.

Ben Haynie