Talk about the ramifications of possible tuition hikes for out-of-state students dominated discussion at the Undergraduate Student Government Downtown meeting on Friday.
Gov. Doug Ducey’s budget proposal for the 2016 year would cut $75 million in funding for higher education, $40 million of which is coming from Arizona State University.
“Because the state legislature is not investing as much money as we really need, we have to make that up through tuition increases,” USGD President Frank Smith III said during the meeting. “But I am still going to advocate for the lowest possible increase.”
As a way to pay off the budget cuts, there are plans to increase tuition for out-of-state students by about 3 percent.
Although understanding the reason for the tuition increase, USGD members said they were working on ways to make sure the results were not too severe for the university’s out-of-state students.
USGD is pursuing several measures right now, including having a lobbying day at the state legislature against the budget cuts, as well as attempting meetings with related ASU officials, including President Michael Crow.
“Right now we are working on a meeting with President Crow to talk about what the implications are for potential tuition increases for out-of-state students,” Smith said.
However, Ryan Boyd, an in-state student, thought more should be done about opposing the cuts and tuition raise. He questioned President Smith about it.
“We always talk about the state capitol presence,” Boyd said. “Do we have a plan to make it more than a one day thing? We go there one day, that is not going to make a lasting impact on state legislature that has hundreds of other items, and a potential billion-dollar deficit coming up next year.”
Smith said there are multiple items that USGD is pursuing related to the legislation.
“We are working on having regularly scheduled meetings with ASU’s chief lobbyists, and the people right under him … so we can see that we make sure that we have an impact, so our universities aren’t taking a large hit,” Smith said.
Smith said there are scheduled meetings with members of the Arizona House of Representatives. He said it would be a challenge to talk to them about the tuition hikes because the effects are limited to out-of-state students.
He said USGD should instead focus on the potential problems the cuts could have in hurting campus services, the value of its degrees and the Arizona economy.
“What they are going to have to do, lay-off professors, cut services, and devalue our degrees,” Smith said. “And it hurts the Arizona economy. Really framing it in that light, as compared to, ‘This will hurt Joe from Oklahoma whose tuition will go up 3 percent.’
Sen. Elizabeth Gray, representing the College of Public Programs, said she was told by a faculty member that the tuition raises would not present a big challenge to students.
“From our dean’s perspective, he doesn’t think it’s the worst thing ever,” Gray said. “I mean, it’s bad, but it’s not going to be terrible.”
Gray said that a tuition increase could result in a raise in financial aid for non-residents, which had been brought up by others during the meeting.
“[Our dean’s] thinking that, if out-of-state tuition does increase, then financial aid and scholarships may be more available for those out-of-state students,” Grey said.
Contact the reporter at David.J.Marino@asu.edu.
