Gov. Rick Perry, in his state of the State address Tuesday, said Texas public colleges should freeze incoming college freshmen’s tuition costs for four years at the amount they pay for the first semester.
Were UH to adopt Perry’s proposal, freshmen entering the fall semester of 2009 will pay an estimated $6,450 a year for the next four years.
‘Let’s make college accessible and affordable for more qualified, motivated students than ever before,’ Perry said in his address.
The average cost of tuition at four-year public universities rose 6.3 percent last year, according to The College Board. The Texas unemployment rate rose 1.8 percent between December 2007 and December 2008, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Perry said the proposal would help families worried about the cost of higher education by offering an incentive for high school graduates to complete a degree in a timely fashion.
‘This will help Texas families plan while giving students another incentive to finish on time,’ he said.
Public relations senior Jessica Valor said that Perry’s proposal leaves students already in school unprotected from tuition increases.
‘It’s incredibly unfair,’ Valor said, ‘because (current students) are not only paying for the freshmen, but (we) are paying for them for the next three years.’
Valor isn’t alone in this thinking.
Education junior Britnee Vaughn said if she has to pay the the rising tuition costs, incoming freshmen should have to pay it as well.
‘What makes them so special?’ she said. ‘Somebody has to pay for it, and if they don’t pay for it, taxpayers will have to pay for it. Students already in school will have to pay for it. It’s a domino effect.’
Not all students think Perry’s proposal is unfair. Journalism sophomore Ashley Grundvig said Perry’s tuition freeze is honorable.
‘ ‘With the current economy unstable, it’s nice for families to know what exactly they will be paying for all four years upfront. This will help them to not only plan ahead financially but also act as an incentive for the student to complete college on time,’ she said.
UH Assistant Director of Communications Richard Bonnin released a statement via e-mail regarding the University’s reaction to Perry’s proposal.
‘University officials are monitoring developments related to proposed legislation about tuition, as well as the challenges created by the economic downturn,’ Bonnin said in the email. ‘The university will conduct public hearings and seek the involvement of families, students, faculty and many other constituencies before making a recommendation on tuition to the UH System Board of Regents, which approves tuition rates. T’
The Board of Regent’s Finance and Administration Committee will hold its first meeting of 2009 at 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 10 in Melcher Board Room 100B of the Athletic/Alumni Center.
