Affordable public college
College tuition nationwide has become a proverbial runaway train, with some researchers estimating an average of an 8% increase in tuition costs each year. Bucking that trend is Pennsylvania’s public state university system, which has announced that for the third year running it will not increase tuition prices.
This is the right move for the troubled Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, which is in the midst of structural change and, already, is among the most expensive public college systems in the country.
The 14 schools that make up the State System serve roughly 94,000 students, down about 22% from the system’s peak enrollment level in 2010. The decrease in the student body and well-documented financial struggles are forcing the State System to enact large-scale changes to remain solvent. Pending is a proposal to merge six schools into two. That proposal was advanced April 28 when it won preliminary approval of the governing board. A final vote will be in July.
Shrinking student body aside, some blame a lack of financial support from the state for the colleges’ current financial struggles; some cite excessive spending; some say the decline is simply tied to Pennsylvania’s dwindling population; some say it’s all of the aforementioned. One thing is certain: The students are not to blame. And while the State System remains embroiled in the difficult discussion of mergers and cutbacks, passing the financial burden to students is neither right nor smart. Higher prices for public higher education could continue the exodus from this worthy institution.
The State System aims to serve a noble purpose: quality higher education at affordable prices. Students who cannot afford the skyrocketing costs of private universities should have access to a good college education in their home state. If the public universities system doesn’t keep costs at the forefront of its concern, tuition rates could undermine the foundation of the system’s existence.
The State System is right to recognize that raising tuition is not the solution; structural change is needed.
After these structural changes are finally approved, the State System should turn to a full re-evaluation of its tuition fees with an eye toward reduction. Affordability is a key principle of a public higher education.