The Tuition Fairy

Over the past five years, tuition at Arizona’s three public universities has increased roughly 13.5 percent. The average tuition per student is now about $4,600 a year. The tuition increases have lead to complaints and even lawsuits from students. That’s because Arizona’s constitution states higher education should be “as nearly free as possible.”

Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a “tuition fairy.” Appropriated and non-appropriated university spending in Arizona averaged $3.1 billion in FY 2007. That’s over $23,700 for each full time student, a 17 percent increase since 2000 (adjusted for inflation). Taxpayers picked up the bulk of the tab. Meanwhile, there’s little evidence Arizona’s public university system has improved an equivalent 17 percent.

It is not unreasonable for students to help pay for an education of which they will be the primary beneficiaries. When taxpayers contribute the majority of funding, university officials have little incentive to reduce expenses. Instead of scaling back on unnecessary expenditures and focusing resources on what’s important to students, university officials simply ask for more money. That’s bad news for taxpayers and students alike.

Rather than requiring more of taxpayers, policymakers should address the real problem—the paradoxical constitutional requirement that higher education be “nearly free.” Any college graduate should know there is no such thing as a free lunch.

Oh, no. I can show you exactly what it is paying for:

http://www.asu.edu/enroll/promise/message.html

Excerpt:

Two years ago, we launched ASU Advantage, a grant program that covers the full cost of tuition, fees, room/board and books ($13,000/year) for four years to all qualified Arizonans matriculating from family households with incomes at or below the federal poverty level ($18,850). More than 600 students have entered ASU through this program. These students, without this support would not have access to post-secondary education. Today, we are enhancing that original commitment by extending this support to households with incomes at or below $25,000/year. With nearly 47% of Arizona youth living in low-income homes, this is yet another step toward a brighter collective future for Arizona. Few universities nationally offer this type of assistance, and ASU is proud to be among the first.

So, here my dh and I are working our tails off, his in the military, and my daughters won't rate a free college education, all because we have instilled an "anything worth having is worth working for" mentality in them. But stay on welfare your whole life and there you go. Free college for everyone, on my tax dime.

Oh gosh. . I had to laugh when I read this! All I can think is that *I* want a tuition fairy! I'm a 34 year old mom of twins with a husband who has a successful career. I'm eligible for no scholarships and my student loans are not subsidized. I get around $5K a semester to cover tuition and books. Asking most families of four to come up with an additional $10K a year is tough. According to the gov't, I should contribute $30K a year to my education (but I'm not really sure *what* that includes):

Anyway -- my tuition statement for Fall is as follows:

Date Posted Item Description Amount
10/24/2006 Publications Fee 20.00 USD
10/24/2006 Student Union Fee 45.00
10/24/2006 Medical Service Fee 66.85
10/24/2006 Communication Disorders 11.67
10/24/2006 Recreational Facility Fee 78.00
10/24/2006 International Education Fee 4.00
10/24/2006 Spec Serv Fee- Acad Assistant 2.50
11/03/2006 Library Use Fee 247.50
11/03/2006 Tuition Resident 750.00
11/03/2006 Technology Use Fee 195.00
11/03/2006 Transportation Fee 52.50
11/03/2006 Student Service Fee 210.00
11/03/2006 Student Advising Fee 48.75
11/03/2006 Clinical Practicum Svc. Fee 80.00
11/03/2006 UNT Board Designated Tuition 1,357.50

Grand Total is $3075.10.

I'm a Speech Language Pathology and Audiology Major taking 15 hours. I have yet to go into the library in my three semesters back at school (and I have a 3.87 LOL -- but I'm paying $247.50 a semester for it), I have private medical insurance and would not set foot in that clinic on campus unless it was urgent and I was already ON campus (but I have to pay a $66.85 fee for something I pay for outside of school) . . . the rec facility that I pay $78 a semester for is not open at times that I can use it.

Further, in addition to the transportation fee, we have to pay for parking passes (around $90/semester above and beyond this statement). The bus system on campus *is* good, but all of my classes are in one building. I park next to it. I don't use the buses, but I pay for that privilege too. *boggles*

Now, I am okay with the Technology Use fee -- I use the wireless on campus, have a campus email, and they have fully decked out classrooms as far as technology goes. That's a positive. The Clinical Practicum fee is legit too -- I'm in a Practicum and it deals with the supervisory fees, certification etc. etc.

I have no idea WHAT the International Education Fee is though.

But yeah. School prices suck. I feel pretty confident that UNT spends a lot of its money pretty decently. It's a nice campus, but not exorbitant. It's aging and they are upgrading as they can. It's cost wise pretty typical for a four year publc university here.

Next Fall they are going to flat tuition rates. for 12, 15 or 18 hours you will be charged the rate that 15 hours costs. Essentially you're penalized at 12, rewarded at 18. At least that's how I understand it. Less than 12 (which would cover your part time students) pay as they do now (or similar rates). They are also reducing to 120 from 128 (per the Texas Legislature) the number of hours required to graduate.

That being said, I'll be eligible to graduate in May, but I'm graduating in August. So the flat rate thing is irrelevant to me. And I'll graduate with something like 148 hours.

Oh, and I should finish my MS/PhD around the time my twins start college. *laugh*

I wish that State U cost only $4000 a year where I live. Here in MD it's $19000. And not just anybody can get in; either you have to be a foreign national or an American who has fantastic grades and SAT scores. My kid is a very bright, talented, focused young woman with athletic skills and sterling recommendations from everybody ranging from her JrROTC colonel to her athletic coach to various teachers and counsellors to her employers. She has a remarkable record for volunteering and a broad range of unusual accomplishments. She applied to the university with a B+ average and good SAT scores, and got turned down.

The result is that she's now at a private college that's far more expensive. She's going to be paying off those loans until she's old and gray. People in Arizona don't know how good they have it with their university.

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