Last week The Princeton Review named ASU one of the top 50 “best value” colleges and universities in the nation.

According to an ASU press release, “The selection process took into account a wide range of data that included more than 30 factors in three areas: academics, cost of attendance and financial aid.”

While ASU has made strides in each of these areas, it is located in a state under extreme financial distress and relies heavily on a state Legislature that is not afraid to make drastic cuts in funding. The prerequisites for a university to be named a “best value” do not include fiscal stability.

As a student who takes advantage of the honors college and financial aid, I feel that I get a good value from my education. However, the state’s lack of reserve to cut straight from public education in times of financial concern worries me tremendously.

In California, UC schools will see an increase in tuition of over 30 percent next year. This hike was voted in by a staggering 20-1 among the University of California Regents, according to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. All of this took place in one of the most sought after public university systems in the United States, in a state that does not have a balanced-budget requirement.

The Arizona Constitution requires the state to have a balanced budget at the end of the fiscal year, a constraint that causes legislators to make sometimes drastic cuts.

ASU itself has done a tremendous job the past few years bringing up its reputation, largely due to the efforts of President Michael Crow. However, because it is a public institution in the state of Arizona, it must struggle to secure adequate funding.

Just a year ago, The Arizona Republic reported that over 1,000 students from ASU, UA and NAU stood outside the state capitol to protest the proposed $600 million cut to the three universities. The legislative proposal, released in January of 2009, would have cut ASU’s budget for the remaining fiscal year by up to $243 million, according to the University Web site.

Thousands of University employees feared for their jobs, while even more students feared for the quality and cost of their education. Yet, because of events in the following weeks, ASU officials were able to keep tuition from rising too drastically.

After reconsideration, the three Arizona universities approved a combined cut of $100 million, one sixth of the original proposal, according to the Arizona Board of Regents FY2009 report. We all can remember professors only answering e-mails during school hours or being forced to take furlough days. The changes clearly were not enough to sway the decision to honor ASU as a “best value” school.

Perhaps The Princeton Review should examine state governments and their willingness to support higher education in determining the universities that have the best sustaining value. What may be a good deal today can change within the course of a year depending on the financial stability of the state.

I can only hope that this recognition propels ASU along the positive course of change it’s currently on. However, I hope students don’t forget the fear that ensued when they were faced with the possibilities just one year ago.

Nicole is a print journalism and sustainability sophomore. Reach her at ndgilber@asu.edu