My letter to Governor Blagojevich re: HB 1118 - tuition breaks paid for by current students

http://www.illinois.gov/ ^ | 07/24/03 | P8ri0

[P8ri0]

Dear Governor Blagojevich:

As a life-long Illinois resident, I would like to express my opinion regarding House Bill 1118 which you recently signed into law. Specifically, I believe that House Amendment No.1 ruined the intent of the bill and creates an injustice to current students and their families.

The bill was introduced to provide that the tuition charged an undergraduate student who is an Illinois resident shall not exceed the amount that the student was charged at the time he or she first enrolled in the university as an Illinois resident if that student enrolled not more than 3 and one-half academic years before. House Amendment No.1 changed the provision to the tuition increase limitation applies only to those students who first enroll after the 2003-2004 academic year.

My daughter Caitlin is entering her second year at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana and plans to become a veterinarian, which is a seven-year program. Under this new law, she will be subject to tuition increases for six more years. Why should her future tuition fees be subject to rising costs while others who will graduate before her have the benefit of a fixed tuition? Should not "fair is fair" apply to all?

I am also concerned that as the university's expenses increase, the tuition increases will be passed on to those in my daughter's situation and they alone will have to carry the brunt of the burden. That is an injustice.

In effect, Illinois residents just received the news that if they already have students enrolled at a state university, they can expect even higher tuition increases than the outrageous increases this bill was meant to remedy.

Regards,

John Kilcullen

[P8ri0]

I sent this to the governor and copied the Chicago Tribune, Letters to the Editor e-mail address. PLEASE join in protest to this mis-guided legislation.

[The Old Hoosier]

I think the letter writer is just wrong. If you stay longer, you pay more. I had my tuition hiked in college every year. What's wrong with that?

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Does this tuition increase only apply to state colleges, or private institutions?

[Protagoras]

Once you start haggling over the details of a government program you have already conceded the rightness of the program.

Give government money and watch the mischief begin.

[P8ri0]

The bill provides for a freeze on tuition based on the year you enroll, so that a student who enrolls beginning in 2003 will have the same tuition until graduation.

My point is that current students of Illinois state universities will continue to get socked with tuition increases, and most likely larger increases at that to make up for the freeze enjoyed by new students.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

I understand that students enrolled at different times are being billed differently. But, prior to this legislation, were all students subject to a tuition increase uniformly?

[The Old Hoosier]

Oh, I see what you're saying.

[P8ri0]

I believe so. My daughter, an incoming sophomore, is the first of our children to will attend college, so my experience is limited.

[graycamel]

You've gotta pay for the corrupt machine in Chicago, somehow. Ps, it wouldn't affect them, none of them have a college education.

[cfrels]

"Equal treatment under the law" is now history. Even though the law says we are all equal, we live in the age of "special rights". We also live in the age of lawsuits....seems to me an enterprising attorney ought to have a good case here.