Student body governments from the three in-state universities called for a halt to any further tuition increases Monday.
ASU's Undergraduate Student Government along with the Arizona Students' Association presented their proposal to call for a Gov. Janet Napolitano-backed freeze to all tuition costs in the state at a press conference on Hayden Lawn Monday.
The price of tuition has almost doubled over the past six years at Arizona's public universities, according to ASA, an organization that's comprised members of student governments from ASU, UA and NAU.
"Our goal is to ensure that all students at this University, regardless of socio-economic status, can receive an education here and throughout the state of Arizona," said Liz Simonhoff, a finance senior and USG president.
UA, NAU and ASU West introduced the proposal simultaneously on their own campuses.
The message was consistent throughout all campuses, Simonhoff said.
The proposal was sent to the Arizona Board of Regents, the body that governs the three universities, and called for a freeze in the price of base tuition rates for undergraduate and graduate students at the tuition rate for the 2007-08 school year.
The proposal also asks for the Arizona State Legislature to provide additional funding to each university that would amount to a 5 percent tuition increase for the 2008-09 academic year.
The regents will review the proposal at their Dec. 6 meeting at ASU with hopes of then being voted on and passed by the state legislature and finally signed by Napolitano, said Lindsay Bayuk, finance junior and ASA chair member.
ASA members hope to see an eventual state government buy-out that would place all university financial decisions in Napolitano's hands, opposed to a decision left up to the regents, she added.
"It is the responsibility of the state of Arizona to help fund (the proposal)," Bayuk said. "We're offering this as an opportunity for the students to collaborate, because in the past, students haven't been at the (voting) table."
She said student-governing boards are working particularly hard this year in their lobbying efforts to state legislatures in order to show a strong student voice.
"It shows that students are really concerned about this problem," Bayuk said of the rising tuition costs. "We're working hard to show (the regents and the state legislature) that students are willing to work hard to push this proposal."
While speaking from the students' perspective, the main goal for lobbyists is to get state legislators on board to push the state government buy-out, said Tiffany Troidl, government affairs director and university lobbyist.
"Legislators really take students seriously," Troidl said. "They respect their experience and ideas on how things like tuition affect them."
Finance junior Eric Crouch said he takes the issue of rising tuition rates very seriously, with concerns for the entire student body.
"I understand that (tuition rates) have gone up, but it's getting to the point where we can't afford it," Crouch said.
He said he would focus his efforts on doing whatever it takes to become more involved as a student voice on the topic.
USG is urging all students to attend a Nov. 29 teleconference between the three universities to discuss their thoughts on tuition prices.
The conference is scheduled at the Memorial Union but is subject to change.
Reach the reporter at daniel.oconnor@asu.edu.
