Everywhere you go, people are talking about issues such as the economy, health care and the war in the Middle East. College students have another thing on their minds: education.
Are tuition prices at UH going up in the spring semester? Will it cost an extra $100 to park in a building that’s farther away than almost every parking facility on campus? Will my financial aid refund make it in time to buy textbooks?
We’re in tough times, and it’s time for the University to step up to the plate and find out how to make our dollars stretch further.
A bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives promises to dedicate $87 billion to higher education loans in the next decade. To receive grants, colleges must compete by boosting graduation rates.
This plan has received criticism from private student loan lenders, who will practically be phased out by the bill and by conservatives who feel that the government is asserting too much control over higher-level education.
With a national deficit of nearly $1.4 trillion, it’s no wonder some universities are worried about placing education funding entirely under government control.
Some may argue that placing funding in the government’s hands is a safer option than large banks.
But everyone knows that the person who writes the check has the most power, which makes conservatives hesitant to leave the choices of who receives what up to the federal government.
Though it does make sense to introduce competition to receive funding, the government must look at how well universities are doing with what they have.
Are public universities ready to step up to the plate and prove that they’re able to handle funding? More specifically, is UH ready? Engineering junior Cedric Land doesn’t think so.
‘UH already doesn’t use its money wisely; why should (it) get more? (After spending) nearly $100 million on a new (University Center)? Ridiculous. It doesn’t even cost that much to build a chemical plant,’ Land said.
In May, the UH Foundation offices came under investigation for improper spending on entertainment for alumni.
Though UH charges nearly as much for tuition as the University of Texas and more than Texas A&M, its admission standards and graduation rates aren’t as high as the other two schools.
Why? Because UH is unable to spend its money wisely enough to make sufficient progress.
I love my Coogs, and I’m proud to be one, but right now we simply aren’t making the cut. In order to receive federal money, we should meet the criteria presented to us.
If we aren’t able to, then we simply don’t deserve it.
