Members of the SUNY Board of Trustees met yesterday to vote on a plan to consider an incremental tuition hike each year, in order to make sure that a large jump does not occur again. Unfortunately for students, this meeting was held a decade too late. However, the plan is one that should be considered and is an excellent first step toward future fiscal responsibility.
The tuition hike before this year is clouding everyone's perception of the issue. The knee-jerk reaction is to automatically oppose any additional hikes as an undue strain on the student body, especially the general public that traditionally relies on public education.
While the timing seems less than optimal, there is no better opportunity. This solution would have avoided the problem of a large hike and will make sure it does not happen again, even if it makes the present less attractive. Now they see what needs to be done, and now they are taking the necessary steps.
If the plan for a gradual increase is considered, the burden should not rest solely on the students. Other areas can include private funding or progressive tax increases, and should be open to interpretation down the line. These sources of revenue could be explored in a cyclical format, perhaps repeating every four years, so a tuition hike would only happen once every four years, and therefore affect each new class only.
The benefits of a set, rolling tuition hike are numerous, especially in light of the current hike. Families and students will hopefully be better equipped to prepare for the rising costs, knowing when the raises are coming, and how much they will be required to spend. The advance warning will hopefully offset the decline in enrollment.
While a discussion of future incremental raises is necessary, it must have a cap. It is impossible to predict the future, and the economic climate will certainly change down the line, but the system should not be in place forever. The cost of public education should not be allowed to rise to infinity without any stops in place.
A good balance between public, private and student funding is necessary, as reliance on one cannot sustain anything. An influx of private spending would fractionalize the school, as some programs would receive more support and others would falter. A solution can be worked out so that every program is supported.
The tuition hike was by most accounts a disaster, but a necessary one. The lesson must not be that all tuition hikes are evil, but rather that rising costs should be tempered with other funding opportunities and that making students knowledgeable of hikes in advance is an excellent policy that should be explored.
A progressive system can ensure both a quality and affordable education. Rising costs are a way of life, and must be dealt with in a way where people can be prepared and are not the sole target. The only way to find the solution is to start discussing it, and that is all the SUNY board is trying to do. The problems are not going away and must be addressed so that history does not repeat itself in another 10 years.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
