Tuition hike and aid cuts give students second thoughts

VCU manages cost well, but reform still needed

Shane Wade
Opinion Editor

It comes as no surprise that tuition at VCU has risen again.

Although the near 4 percent increase is minuscule compared to last year’s 7 percent hike, and the lowest tuition increase in 11 years, this trend is a reasonable cause for concern among students.

The tuition hikes at VCU aren’t a malevolent action by the administration or the Board of Visitors. VCU is a public university and receives a significant portion of its funding 28 percent from the state government. So when the state makes cuts to the budget, as they have annually since 2008, VCU’s 28 percent can look fairly appetizing.

In fact, VCU’s 2010 report on state funding reductions and budget outlook found that state support has reduced by at least $65.2 million between the 2008 and 2012 fiscal years. The increases in tuition and fees are a direct result of education cuts via the state legislature.

VCU has managed to create an opportunity out of this crisis. They’ve used the increases in tuition to both provide funding for necessary expenses and re-allocate resources to expand the universities services. That includes programs geared toward increasing retention and graduation rates, supporting research opportunities, improving libraries, and investing in the student body, among other objectives.

We still remain one of the least expensive universities in Virginia, at $9,517 for a full-time, in-state student. But don’t let that fact mislead you. VCU’s own tuition resource site (mytuition.vcu.edu) boasts that our “tuition and mandatory fees remain below the average.” Considering that the state average for 4-year institutions is $9,534, a $17 difference, the university shouldn’t brag that our tuition is below average.

Thankfully, the tuition-hiking trend is starting to slow as states approach pre-recession revenue levels and make fewer cuts to higher education funding. But that, by no means, solves the problem regarding the price of college.

The cost of college is not limited to the price of tuition; students must also take into account the cost of housing, textbooks, food and other fees. If our grievances were strictly limited to tuition, it would be less justified and relatable for the public.

The associated cost and the accompanying paradox that goes along this the tuition trend have financially broken students and families: As tuition rates go up, financial aid award packages, by and large, go down.

The system is unsustainable, and if it continues, will result in college becoming unattainable. Without financial aid to counter the ever-inflating tuition and cost of living, whether it comes in the form of grants or work-study jobs, many Americans run the risk of becoming financially beholden to private and federal student loans.

We still have a critical need for an increased focus on higher education and college tuition reform if we are to compete both domestically and internationally.

While VCU has managed its resources well and keep cost comparatively low, the daily cost weighs on students, particularly upperclassmen, who could feel trapped. For them, it’s too late to enroll in community college and get an Associates’ degree to help financially carry them through their Bachelors’, or not feasible for them to temporarily drop out and work full-time, if they can find a job.

President Obama will return to Virginia within the next two weeks; hopefully he’ll use his time here to discuss his plans to reform college tuition and make college affordable to the average American family.

While VCU has managed recent financial troubles well, it might be time to reconsider some of the bigger plans that enhance the academic life of students and think about ways to enhance the financial well-being of both current and prospective students.