Reject tuition hike penalty

As if a stingy, bumbling state Legislature weren't enough for the UA to deal with, now the U.S. Congress is considering a bill that would punish universities that impose tuition increases beyond a set standard.

Congress is considering this draconian action as part of the latest reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, which was passed in 1965 and must be revised and re-passed every six years.

Supporters of the bill, which was proposed by California Republican Howard P. "Buck" McKeon, either misunderstand the nature of tuition increases, or simply don't care that states are cutting funds to public universities.

Arizona's recent $1,000 tuition hike and a wave of large increases around the country weren't an effort to make college unaffordable. In Arizona, at least, it was quite the opposite.

The tuition hike had a two-fold impact. First, it pumped about $14 million into the UA's dwindling budget, which had been plundered with more than $40 million in cuts from the Legislature over the past two years.

Second, believe it or not, it actually made the UA more affordable. Such a high percentage of the increase was diverted into financial aid that the poorest students didn't have to pay it. In addition, the tuition revenue cut unmet need, which is the amount of money needed to cover the cost of financial aid for people who need it, but can't get it.

Sure it's counterintuitive, but it's true. And the UA is a shining example of why it works. We experienced the nation's largest tuition increase this year, yet minority enrollment rose.

Today, the Arizona Board of Regents will discuss the act's implications. If members want to look out for the university's best interests, they'll all voice their opposition.

Board President Chris Herstam wrote Arizona Congressman John Shadegg, a Republican, to express his "serious concerns" with the bill. The board should join him.

So should local Congressmen Raœl Grijalva and Jim Kolbe, whose districts benefit greatly from the UA's vitality. Limiting tuition hikes would be tantamount to limiting universities' ability to survive, and nobody should stand for that injustice.