The high cost of higher ed-- Tuition hikes make things more difficult

This editorial appears in the Yakima Herald-Republic on May 12, 2009.

It may not have been the most eloquent of quotes, but it seemed to fit the occasion.

"It stinks from my point of view," said a 23-year-old student at Washington State University.

The student was bemoaning the prospect of successive 14 percent tuition hikes over the next two years.

The same grumblings are being sounded at other universities across the state, including Central Washington University in Ellensburg. There, about 300 students recently staged a mild protest, marching down to where the board of trustees had been meeting.

While the protest didn't result in halting tuition hikes, the trustees did agree to authorize the 14 percent hike for only one year. That will increase tuition to $5,517 per year.

For CWU students and others, as well as higher education administrators, the days of minuscule bumps in tuition and expanded academic programs are a thing of the past.

The tuition increases are in response to reductions in the state's two-year budget, approved several weeks ago by the Legislature, that cut about $500 million from higher education. To ease the burden of the cutbacks, lawmakers also allowed for double-digit increases in tuition.

Cuts at Central came to $18 million for the next academic year, with $7 million being made up in federal stimulus funds and another $6 million through the tuition boost. That still leaves $5 million in cuts.

At Washington State University, 371 jobs will be lost as a result of $100 million in cutbacks from the state. Branch campuses will see decreased staff and access. It's also curtains for the drama department and its six faculty and staff.

The university also is closing down its distance learning centers, which use the Internet to access WSU instruction. That includes a center at Yakima Valley Community College.

Even with federal dollars and the 14 percent tuition hike factored into the equation, the University of Washington faces a $73 million cut over the next fiscal year. That will force the loss of up to 800 positions and will put an end to the university's men's and women's swimming program, which has been around for 77 years.

The reduction of expenses has even led UW to take away the phone system for its communications department. From now on, professors will have to field student inquiries by e-mail. Another sign of the times.

Of course, these cuts to universities will put more pressure on community colleges.

But that traditional open-door access to two-year colleges like YVCC may not be there for incoming students due to the state's funding crisis. To balance its budget with $2.3 million less from the state, YVCC will have to wipe out 14 staff positions and impose a 7 percent tuition hike.

YVCC President Linda Kaminski says the college will not eliminate any active programs, but concedes a number of incoming students may not find an open slot available.

Still, it could have been a lot worse. If an earlier House budget had passed, YVCC's funding losses would have doubled.

With the governor's prompting, lawmakers did act prudently by allowing the higher tuition. Without the added 14 percent increase, the University of Washington alone would have turned away more than 5,000 incoming students as opposed to what is now predicted to be 1,300 fewer slots.

For years, university presidents have told lawmakers they want to run their institutions more like businesses. Well, the time has come.

We would not be surprised if more departments and programs -- beyond drama and swimming teams -- will have to be shut down. In these difficult economic times, reforming past practices often requires harsh, but fiscally prudent, measures.

* Members of the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board are Michael Shepard, Bob Crider, Spencer Hatton and Karen Troianello.

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