Gov. Mark R. Warner (D) announced last week his concern over a General Assembly proposal that would create in-state tuition caps. The Virginia Senate's version of the proposal caps in-state tuition at 5 percent or $800, whichever is less, and the House of Delegates version caps it at a 9 percent increase. Even if the more generous House version of the proposal were to pass, University administrators are worried that it may still not provide enough revenue for the operations of the University. The General Assembly must shift cap percentages to higher rates or do away with tuition caps altogether in order to ensure the University the revenues it requires.
Tuition has always been a delicate subject between the University and the Commonwealth. In 1996, Virginia's public universities lost the ability to set their own in-state tuition rates through laws the General Assembly passed.
The reasons for these laws are understandable in that the General Assembly wanted to ensure that public tuition remained low and affordable. Unfortunately, the state made little effort in diverting other cash flows to subsidize the lack of increased tuition revenue. As costs became greater with more students enrolling in public universities, the amount of funding did not grow proportionally, but rather decreased. To make matters worse, the Commonwealth currently finds itself in such dire financial straits that even if it wanted to help out its public universities, it is financially impossible.
Constructively, the Commonwealth allowed the University to raise in-state tuition for this academic year, in what was an "emergency" effort. This move allowed the University to thaw out its hiring freeze. Unfortunately, this increase is not foreseen to be sufficient for the future needs of the University.
If the University and its fellow public institutions are not allowed to specify the amount that they need tuition to be increased, they face dismal prospects. If the Senate's proposal is passed, it may reduce the in-state tuition rate because the University will not be able to apply its spring surcharge to both semesters next year when calculating future tuition rates. The University may once again be forced to instate a freeze on hiring and discretionary spending.
The General Assembly of Virginia must not allow such a situation to develop. The hiring freeze that recently ended was disastrous. This semester, for instance, featured a severe shortage in classes for undergraduates, as many students could not get into the courses they needed. Additionally, the full effects may still be felt as the University missed out on several crucial months of faculty recruiting.
The University is presently in the top 25 institutions of higher education according to U.S. News & World Report. Another hiring freeze may seriously jeopardize that position, as well as negatively affect the standard of education that students receive.
Although no student wants to see tuition increase, it is essential that the University's costs be covered. Students and their families make tremendous sacrifices to attend college for four or more years. Unfortunately, students may have to pay more for their education, but it is necessary because the Commonwealth has proven that it cannot manage its public institutions. By not having to pay a little more to get the elite education that the student had meant to receive by enrolling at the University, it is the students themselves that are getting short-changed. This will occur if the General Assembly does not let its public universities increase tuition enough to support themselves and their current standards of education.
Although it will come at a high price, tuition must be allowed to rise to the levels required by the public universities. For that to be possible, the House and the Senate of the Commonwealth must pay more attention to the financial needs of Virginia's universities and make any type of budget caps commensurate to the amounts of revenue these institutions require.
(Alex Rosemblat's column appears Wednesdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at arosemblat@cavalierdaily.com.)
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