In the wake of the ever-increasing threat of rising college-tuition costs, California Republican Representative Howard P. (Buck) McKeon has introduced legislation that would punish colleges for raising tuition costs above a certain level.
McKeon, who heads the House subcommittee on higher education, said he drafted the proposal out of frustration for continually increasing tuition prices despite large sums of money that have been spent on student-aid programs.
McKeon also hopes this bill, which he plans to introduce within the next month, will make college education available for students with financial constrictions.
“It’s good to have legislators worried about the costs to go to college,” UW educational administration Professor Jacob O. Stampen said.
Under the provisions of this bill, a college that raises costs of attendance by twice the rate of inflation or more would be under review by the U.S. Education Department. The college would need to explain its rationale for the increased prices to the department and would also need to provide detailed prevention plans for future tuition increases.
UW out-of-state freshman Sarah Orlowski is worried that possible tuition increases would jeopardize her stay at UW.
“Penalizing universities for raising tuition is ultimately positive for all students, but especially out-of-state students, whose tuition is already really high,” Orlowski said. “These students are having greater and greater difficulty to find the financial means to allow them to attend out-of-state schools of their choice.”
If a college failed to bring tuition costs back down within a year, sanctions would be taken against the institution. One sanction would entail taking away the university’s eligibility rights for participation in federal student-aid programs.
UW freshman Diana Gruberg finds this repercussion more as a punishment for students than for universities.
“The bill seems a little bit self-defeating,” Gruberg said. “If the purpose is to help students afford college, then how can they rationalize taking away federal aids? It is important for our government to pressure schools to keep our tuition affordable, but we need useful solutions when thinking about these issues instead of enacting programs that address but do not solve the issues.”
College lobbyists and members of the American Council on Education have viewed McKeon’s proposal in a similar negative light, stressing its ill timing in light of the financial troubles facing many states.
“I can see why a Congressman would think what he’s thinking, but this one is a bit sweeping,” Stampen said. “I think in most institutions it would be a bad thing. There are few outliers where it would be justified.”
Stampen is worried the recent onslaught of budget cuts in Wisconsin could negatively affect Madison’s rank as the second-lowest tuition in the Big Ten, attributing several factors to the state’s current economic condition.
“After several years of declining [economic] support, you get this big hit. It’s not surprising that the institution turns to tuition to escape,” he said, adding that universities were often able to compensate for financial loss in other ways than tuition in the past.
Although UW’s in-state tuition is the second lowest in the Big Ten, it’s the second highest for out-of-state students. Stampen said McKeon’s bill would affect both rankings.
