2008 Woodie Awards
State Board of Education Supports Tuition
Eryn Lowe
Issue date: 2/2/05 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
With declining state revenues and an increase in student enrollment, the State Board of Education is redefining the budget for higher education by supporting the charge of tuition in Idaho.
Excluding the University of Idaho, all other state institutions could be expecting a change of fee structure in the near future. After a meeting with the State Board and the president's committee (presidents from the various universities), the Board supported proposal to redefine student fees and state-appropriated funds as tuition. With student fees increasing 165% in the past 15 years, many- including Terry Fredrickson and Trevor Jensen, ASISU president and vice president- disagree with the proposal. They believe the tuition concept will cause an increase in the cost of higher education for students. Lucy Willits of the State Board referred to the cause of the student fee increase to be the increased need in Idaho's Health and Welfare and other state budgets creating problems with higher education funding. Rod Lewis, president of the State Board, ensures the proposal is not meant to increase student costs.
"This change does not alter the Board's desire to keep total student fees or tuition as low as possible," Lewis said. "It is not our intention to use tuition as a means to increase overall student fees beyond that which we would approve in the way of matriculation fees."
Willits said the reasoning behind the concept is due to the institutions being "ran up against the wall." Universities are striving to financially deal with the rise in students and the drop in the state budget. Willits referred to the situation as a "vicious cycle." She said the Board has been very critical about the cycle due to the risk of a decrease in enrollment and the cutting of programs.
"[The tuition concept] gives institutions transparency and flexibility," Willits said.
In reference to the "shell game" of making accommodations by shifting funds, Willits said Lewis and the Board think of higher education as an investment in the work force and will continue to strive for that investment. Willits said they are aware and concerned about student fees and "is not trying to dip into the students' pocket book."
"In the opinion of the Board, this change from fees to tuition is a matter of semantics," Lewis said. "Whether you call it student fees or tuition, it is the total amount students are contributing to attend higher education that is the issue."
Since the State Board is not quite comfortable with the mechanics of the proposal, they will be looking over and revising it. They will then hold a meeting for final voting before it is sent to congress to undergo the political process.
Excluding the University of Idaho, all other state institutions could be expecting a change of fee structure in the near future. After a meeting with the State Board and the president's committee (presidents from the various universities), the Board supported proposal to redefine student fees and state-appropriated funds as tuition. With student fees increasing 165% in the past 15 years, many- including Terry Fredrickson and Trevor Jensen, ASISU president and vice president- disagree with the proposal. They believe the tuition concept will cause an increase in the cost of higher education for students. Lucy Willits of the State Board referred to the cause of the student fee increase to be the increased need in Idaho's Health and Welfare and other state budgets creating problems with higher education funding. Rod Lewis, president of the State Board, ensures the proposal is not meant to increase student costs.
"This change does not alter the Board's desire to keep total student fees or tuition as low as possible," Lewis said. "It is not our intention to use tuition as a means to increase overall student fees beyond that which we would approve in the way of matriculation fees."
Willits said the reasoning behind the concept is due to the institutions being "ran up against the wall." Universities are striving to financially deal with the rise in students and the drop in the state budget. Willits referred to the situation as a "vicious cycle." She said the Board has been very critical about the cycle due to the risk of a decrease in enrollment and the cutting of programs.
"[The tuition concept] gives institutions transparency and flexibility," Willits said.
In reference to the "shell game" of making accommodations by shifting funds, Willits said Lewis and the Board think of higher education as an investment in the work force and will continue to strive for that investment. Willits said they are aware and concerned about student fees and "is not trying to dip into the students' pocket book."
"In the opinion of the Board, this change from fees to tuition is a matter of semantics," Lewis said. "Whether you call it student fees or tuition, it is the total amount students are contributing to attend higher education that is the issue."
Since the State Board is not quite comfortable with the mechanics of the proposal, they will be looking over and revising it. They will then hold a meeting for final voting before it is sent to congress to undergo the political process.