Of the points of the Student Government Association’s five point plan discussed this week, number two and three have the broadest impact on the student body as a whole.’
While point one of the plan calls for tuition to be frozen for the next school year, it only applies to the 2009-2010 academic year.’
Points four and five are also important in reducing college costs, but specifically target summer school attendees and low income students respectively. ‘
Points two and three have the potential to affect the largest number of students for a longer period of time, and are both important to providing financial stability and predictability.’
Point two of the five-point plan is designed to cap future increases on tuition after the 2009 academic year, which will ‘extend the 6 percent cap on future tuition and mandatory fee increases for another two years after the 2009-10 school year,’ according to the SGA Web site.’
It also prevents a tuition increase of more than 6 percent, after avoiding a substantial tuition and fee increase next school year.’
Although fees and tuition increased this year, they were at a much lower rate than other increases within the past few years.’
This was in large part because of the administration’s efforts to work with the student body to bring tuition increases to a more reasonable rate.’
The cap on tuition increases has made it easier for the student body to bear the burden of tuition increases, while at the same time making it easier for students and their families to plan for how to pay for college.’
Putting the college tuition at a predictable rate, it allows students to breathe a sigh of relief knowing that tuition will not rise above anything they could plan for.
Perhaps more important for long term stability is point three of the plan which calls for guaranteed tuition rates throughout a student’s school career as determined by the degree plan.
‘Incoming freshmen students will have their tuition and fees locked in for a four-year period,’ SGA said on its Web site.
‘ ‘What a student pays on their first fee bill will be what they pay in their fourth year too, providing much needed predictability for students and their families,’ it said.
Such a plan would likely increase the number of potential students interested in enrolling at UH. When potential students evaluate college choices, cost is a significant factor.’ If students and their families are able to anticipate college costs, budgeting for them is much easier. This helps more families make the commitment to education.’
While providing a cap on tuition increases makes it easier to estimate how much it will cost to enroll in college, the guaranteed tuition plan makes it so that students will know exactly how much they will be paying as long as they graduate in a timely fashion.’
The critical aspects of the five-point plan help keep students enrolled and graduating on time who may otherwise cut back on classes or drop out prior to graduation.’
Students enrolled in classes wouldn’t have to worry as much about the constant increase in fees and tuition. Similarly, the University administration would be able to focus on how tuition increases would affect incoming freshman and transfer students. Most importantly, it would prompt students to graduate within the typical time frame for a four-year degree plan.
Chris Busby is a political science and English junior and may be reached at [email protected].
