April 27, 2011 05:38 PM UTC

Putting Our Students First - CU Tuition Vote

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• by: monisha

This morning, the University of Colorado Board of Regents will convene and will be faced with a difficult decision when voting on the fiscal year 2011-2012 budget: what should the resident and non-resident tuition rates be?

We are not alone – the governing boards of all of the public higher education institutions across Colorado are facing the same tough choices. Last fall, the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) reviewed and approved tuition rate increase proposals ranging from 9% to 25%.

(November Mtg link: http://highered.colorado.gov/C…

(December Mtg link: http://highered.colorado.gov/C…

Most of the readers in the Colorado Pols community are aware of the pressures facing our State’s budget. According to the December 2010 Colorado Commission on Higher Education “Tuition and Fees Report”, State support for Colorado’s public higher education institutions has declined by 22% from its peak in fiscal year 2008-2009.

(link: http://highered.colorado.gov/C…

The amount of state investment in our public higher education institutions directly impacts our resident tuition rates. So, as the state budget is reduced, the resident tuition rates rise to compensate for the loss of state investment. There are other mandatory increases required by the state that change each year. As you look further through the report, you can see that the institutions’ tuition rates as set in 2010-2011 increased 26.9-59.2% from fiscal year 2006-2007. Student Fees, which are costs in addition to tuition, have increased 18.5-611% over that same period.

Why the rising costs? It varies from institution to institution, and often a “peer” comparison is done. The percentages of increases can be misleading depending on what the actual base number was in 2006-2007. However, it is the responsibility of the governing boards of higher education institutions to make prudent decisions on rate increases, especially during these very difficult times for our students and their families. The “peer” comparison should not turn into a race to the top for higher tuition rates.

The national discourse over the year has honed on: is a college degree worth it? Personally, I am a huge advocate for a formal college education. But, it is getting much more difficult for prospective students to justify the significant personal investment. As an engineer, I look to the numbers that shape the “Colorado Paradox”:

•Colorado is ranked 3rd in the nation in residents with graduate degrees;

•CNBC and Forbes rank Colorado in the top 5 states to do business; yet

•Only 1 out of 4 of Colorado’s ninth graders is expected to be able to attend college.

As a Colorado native and an elected representative for the people of Adams, Arapahoe, and Jefferson Counties, I am touched by the stories that I have heard over the past year from CU students and their families.

Many families did the “right thing” by saving for college, including investing money, birthday and Christmas gifts in 529 Plans and other investments. With the recent challenges on Wall Street, the value of their plans are less than what they expected, making it difficult to pay for the tuition and fees. One parent or both parents have lost their jobs. (The unemployment rate in Colorado as reported in March was 9.2%. Many of the families I have spoken with unfortunately are part of this number.)

The burden of finding a way to pay for a college education has shifted from the parents to our students. Our students are being responsible – working one or two jobs (link: http://www.dailycamera.com/bou… while attending school full time. And with the high unemployment rate, our graduates are unable to find work, making it impossible to begin paying back their loans. Students have held rallies and met with legislators at the state capitol to share their own stories about how the rising costs are making college more of a dream than a reality. (link: http://www.thedenverchannel.co…

Over the years, our CU students have done their part by paying higher tuition rates to compensate for the rapid decline in state funding, by paying higher student fees to fund construction of new buildings on campus, and by paying higher fees to cover degree-specific costs. Our students are being asked to pay for long-term investments across the University of Colorado. I am sure that most of our graduates will become the next generation of donors, but first, they need to be able to complete their degree, find a good job, and pay back their loans.

The decline in state support for our public higher education institutions has been a difficult revenue stream to replace. I applaud the University of Colorado faculty and staff for continuing to provide a very high quality education during these lean times. I recognize the Leadership’s and Administration’s ability to find ways to optimize and streamline CU’s operations across all four campuses.

Last fall, I and three other Regents (Regents Geddes and Neguse and Regent-Emeritus Lucero), presented a resolution to the Board challenging the Administration to present a fiscally responsible budget that relied upon a limited tuition increase (link: http://tinyurl.com/3attk3c).

Unfortunately, this morning, we will be presented with a proposal that continues to place a significant burden on our students and families.

However, I will be voting “No” this morning on the proposed 2011-2012 tuition increases, because I want to put our students first.