Steep tuition increases have become the modus operandi for higher education. That theme has held true at the University of Idaho for the past decade, where students have seen year after year tuition increases that exceed 5 percent.
UI administration announced Wednesday they will ask for a 4.7 percent increase in tuition and fees from the State Board of Education in April, the lowest tuition and fee increase request in a decade.
Though this kind of increase would up the ante for undergraduate students paying to attend UI — a $308 raise for in-state students and $714 raise for out-of-state undergrads — the raise is a necessary one.
The 4.7 percent proposed increase is lower than previous years, which comes as a slight relief to in-debt students after years of rising education costs.
“Over the past 10 years (tuition and fees) almost doubled, and that’s an unfortunate reality of higher education across the nation,” ASUI President Max Cowan said.
We can hope this lower percentage will serve as a precedent in years to come and does not end up as an anomaly. But the harsh reality is that any increase is an unwelcome one for students.
UI is in desperate need of these tuition and fee raises every bit as much as the next university. Sure, the additional dollars will be spent well, but it’s unfortunate that students are responsible for picking up the tab.
The state has failed to fund UI appropriately and only provides 50 percent of our general education budget. Compare that to 2001, when 71 percent of the funding came from the state.
The student body is left to fork over the difference, forcing many students to take out loans at higher rates than ever before.
The university’s undergraduate population has good reason to weep at the sight of another increase, though it can also sigh in relief knowing the current quality of education at UI will continue and that these proposals are the result of thorough studies conducted by student leadership and administrators who recognize where UI needs financial support.
— TL