Gov. Jay Nixon made some very difficult choices when he proposed a 12.5 percent cut in funding for higher education. In our present economic state, the ability to make difficult choices is a necessity.

Obviously, as college students, the phrase “cuts to higher education” make us cringe, and a possible tuition increase to make up for those gaps in funding isn’t exactly music to our ears.

Yet with the current economic conditions, being able to tighten your belt is a valuable skill and one our university should continue to improve on with the proposed budget cuts. We understand the university might raise tuition to help offset the funding gap, but this is a good opportunity for school entities to cut back in other areas, like decreasing student fees for extra-curricular programs or events that place too much emphasis on being extras. A Jason Derulo concert isn’t an inherent component to a quality higher education.

However, what is vital to the continuation and success of higher education in Missouri is affordability. Although a tuition increase will affect the price of attending MU, our university is pretty affordable as it is. This is especially true for in-state students since Nixon has kept the funding for the Access Missouri scholarship program, which rewards scholarships such as the Bright Flight award, intact. Last year the program was funded from a one-time appropriation of $30 million from the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, an independent organization. The one-time loan left the possibility open that the scholarship program wouldn’t be funded this year, but Nixon ensured the important program would continue. These scholarships will be given to students who truly deserve higher education anyway, which is more important than ensuring everyone can go to college, when college isn’t for everyone.

Additionally, Nixon is conscientious about K-12 education, which provides a foundation for higher education to succeed. The proposed budget provides a $5 million net increase in aid, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Students won’t make it to college if they don’t learn the skills necessary beforehand.

Nixon is working to keep a balanced budget without raising taxes or government debt in a time where other states are struggling to do so. The cuts to funding are a source of pain, but are also an opportunity for our university to create a leaner, more efficient way of operating.