With tuition and fees on the rise, some students are feeling the pressure and calling on UH President Renu Khator to keep costs under control.
Information systems technology senior Asif Fasih said the University should consider alternative sources of fundraising.
"(UH) should consider getting additional funding from community members," Fasih said. "Donors should be asked to give funds or consider giving an additional gift. This should be achieved by giving a presentation of why our University should receive additional funding."
He said if UH continues to raise tuition, students will have no choice but to seek another higher education institution to attend.
"If I were a lower-level student, I might transfer to the University of Texas, (Texas) A’M (University) or other institution," Fasih said. "Sure UH is great, but realistically speaking other institutions can be cheaper or have a higher value."
A non-scientific online poll by The Daily Cougar between Feb. 21 and 28 found that of 109 respondents, 19 percent said they would use loans and 18 percent said they would drop out of school if tuition and fees increased.
Although February’s Student Fees Advisory Committee hearings recommended student fees not increase in Fall 2008, the Tuition and Fees Review Committee proposed a 5.9 percent increase. Both committees have presented recommendations to Khator, who will then propose a budget to the UH System Board of Regents. The board then decides whether to keep, change or ignore the recommendations before voting later this spring.
Biochemistry sophomore Alaa Gharandoq said she would be OK with the increase. "If the fees do not go to Frontier Fiesta or to any free activity or excess purchase of unnecessary things," she said.
Information systems technology sophomore Reehab Ramadan said UH isn’t using the extra fees in an appropriate manner.
"If our tuition raise was going somewhere that was beneficial, then we would have seen it the last time tuition was raised," Ramadan said. "We would have seen some beneficial change."
One avenue students can turn to if tuition is increased is the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, and now with the additional help of Financial Aid TV the process could be easier for students, officials said. Financial Aid TV was launched Feb. 15 and can be accessed at www.uh.edu/finaidtv.
Additional reporting by Kristina Michel and Bayan Raji
