Funding fight
(In response to Kyle Daly’s Monday article, “ASU proposes tuition increase, $1,025 surcharge.”)
Mid-year tuition increases. Furloughs. Loss of critical programs and services. While it’s easy to blame Michael Crow and the ASU administration for our financial woes, we want students to realize the true culprits behind our rising tuition costs: the Arizona State Legislature.
Not only does Arizona rank 35th in state funding for higher education, the state only provides 1 percent of all financial aid available to Arizona public university students. In fiscal year 2009, the state cut $191.5 million from higher education funding — that evens out to about $1,200 per full-time student.
These sudden and drastic budget cuts caused an unprecedented second tuition increase last spring. It was the $30 million cut from higher education last week that lead to the proposed doubling of the economic recovery surcharge, which only serves to replace operations funding, not to expand the University’s New American agenda. And if it wasn’t for the federal stimulus package funds students would be paying $1,000s more in tuition and fees.
What can you do to help? Become an advocate for higher education. Come to the Tuition Hearing on March 1 in the Memorial Union Turquoise Room at 5:00 p.m. to speak out against the drastic state cuts.
You can protect the future of ASU by contacting your legislators and demanding they prioritize higher education. Join students, faculty, staff members, alumni and sign up to become a Sun Devil Advocate at sundeviladvocates.org. Becoming a Sun Devil Advocate gives you the resources you need to fight for your education.
We’re not asking for a handout or a free ride, just the opportunity to earn a quality degree without suffering massive debt. We’re all doing our part — now it’s the state’s turn.
Brendan O’Kelly USG President
