If you follow The Maneater on Twitter, frequent UM system Board of Curators meetings or simply stay up-to-date on Missouri politics, you’ve probably heard a tuition hike for the UM system is on the horizon.
It’s very much a reality that we, both in-state and out-of-state students, have to face due to the present economic situation of Missouri. It would be easy to point a finger (especially at our state politicians who allowed an egregious state budget shortfall to accumulate without adopting common sense solutions to avoid hiking the cost of an education in our state, as The Maneater pointed out in an editorial last month), but the time for blame has passed, and we’re thankful for the in-state tuition freeze that has held rates steady for the last two years.
Let’s face it — we’re going to have to pay more for our education. Might as well stay positive, right?
Chancellor Brady Deaton would say so, but he may have gone a bit too far. His recent comments that higher tuition rates for an MU education would make our school more desirable and raise enrollment by an estimated 200 students (who, we guess, base their college choice on which school is more expensive) is truly looking on the bright side of life.
It’s truly absurd to try and justify tuition hikes with statements such as Deaton’s. It is the UM sytem’s responsibility, as a public university, to provide an affordable college education to Missouri’s citizens. Why, then, is Deaton touting the so-called “advantage” of making a college degree that much more of a challenge for students who come from low-income families or simply don’t have the means to pay already-steep college tuition rates. Why don’t we just be realistic: Tuition hikes suck. Big time.
With this reality, we ask our representatives in Jefferson City to cut from the university’s funding responsibly. We understand there aren’t many options left and are ready to face a tuition increase, but there are ways to cushion the fall. As The Maneater has stated before, the Missouri tax bracket hasn’t been updated since the early 1930s. Missourians earning more than $9 thousand pay the same tax rate as those earning millions. It’s time to modernize and harness the power of the Missouri income tax for the benefit of the UM system and the state at large.
In addition, we urge Deaton and other MU officials to show the same responsibility when making cuts here at home. MU is looking at a funding gap of more than $30 million, but that entire gap doesn’t have to be filled with tuition increases. Yes, cuts have already been made to degree programs and in other places within the university, but don’t take a machete to the budget without closely evaluating it first.
It’s going to be a hard time for everyone, and tuition increases are a reality we have to be ready to face. All we can do is cross our fingers and hope our representatives and the MU administration have the heart (and common sense) to do their best to cushion the fall.