Guest Column: Why UT-Austin Shouldn't Raise Its Tuition
The University of Texas System is an extraordinary institution. It educates more than 200,000 students, mostly from Texas, and it conducts an enormous amount of groundbreaking research. The cumulative impact of the education of young people and the research output of the thousands of brilliant faculty is prodigious and valuable. I could not be prouder of the University of Texas diploma on my wall, representing as it does not only knowledge and thinking skills gained but also the symbol of the four joyous and challenging years I spent growing as a person and learning about myself and others. What ...
Comments (9)
Jon Masters via Texas Tribune on Facebook
If there is so much competition for attendance at the University of Texas, perhaps instead of raising costs they should raise the academic requirements. The goal should be to provide the best education possible for the smallest investment.
Texas Longhorns
Cranberg is mistaken. Texas needs ethical, intelligent people on the Board of Regents. Someone who fails to understand the budget and tuition situation needs to rethink their status on the board.
The reality of the situation is that state support has not kept up with inflation nor has it ever been adequate. The state is content to let the universities set their own tuition and transfer the burden to students who must then take out loans. Notice how Cranberg says "Nationally, state support for higher education has roughly kept pace with general inflation over the past 20 years." He's not talking about UT-Austin and Texas here. The failure of Perry and his cronies is whitewashed by the more generous support of many other states. Any careful analysis of state support for state colleges demonstrates that Texas always lagged behind in the past compared to other states and is far worse now.
Tuition is rising at every institution, from community colleges to tier one colleges. Obviously not all those institutions are research intensive. You cannot blame rising tuition on professors and research.
What Cranberg also fails to note is that UT is not the same institution he attended long ago. It has grown and advanced in real prestige. Departments have expanded, and many more prominent scholars and teachers have joined. Increasing the academic power of any institution takes time and money. Always an excellent institution, UT is no longer just a nice state school. It is close to being the very best public university in the nation. The small-minded friends of Perry on the Board of Regents will do their very best to favor Tea Party terror tactics over the common good.
Darrell J. Gonzales via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Well this article is a testament of how College tuition rates have soared higher than ever before, not just at UT but elsewhere too! And to be honest if UT were to do the same again then the rest of the schools such TEXAS TECH, TEXAS A&M and so on would also follow suit. Not in favor of raising tuition at all either, but sure am glad to see an actual board of regent speak out of this rule. More of them need to speak out on this issue from all over the state!
T D
When Cranberg says "by harnessing technology even more innovatively than we do now" I can't but suspect that he's personally acquainted with some fellows that have something to sell us.
Notice too that he leaves out an important part of the mandate from the Constitution. Here it is, and you tell me what he chose to omit:
"The legislature shall as soon as practicable establish, organize and provide for the maintenance, support and direction of a University of the first class, to be located by a vote of the people of this State, and styled, "The University of Texas," for the promotion of literature, and the arts and sciences, including an Agricultural, and Mechanical department."
Mary Muna via Texas Tribune on Facebook
well they have to pay Mackw
Will Franklin
Indeed: The Texas Constitution does not famously promise its citizens a “University of the upper class.” Texas needs to be the leader in proactively addressing the higher education bubble, not a reactive follower. If you're reacting to a bubble bursting, it's already too late.
College costs are simply unsustainable, and massive student loan debt is altering the very fabric of our society for the worse. People loaded up with student loan debt due to skyrocketing tuition are delaying marriage, buying homes, buying cars, having kids, and otherwise participating in the American engine of commerce.
James Rivers
I commend Alex Cranberg.
I am appalled that the opposite view expressed in Perrin's article believes that in order to be a tier-one institution to attract world-class faculty, students and researchers, there must be an "appropriate funding mix that includes tuition, philanthropy and state funding so that we can sustain the mission of the university without unnecessarily burdening one group."
When she speaks of attracting world-class students; does she mean the students that have a lot of money just sitting around? Or the ones who like debt? Or the ones who are fortunate enough to even go to college? What about the rest?
Even the headline is off, "Why UT should Raise Tuition." Doesn't she see what is happening all around this country? The economy is still in shambles. People are hurting. Hopefully in November we will elect a new president who understands that what most care about right now is the economy getting better, protecting their pocketbooks, and taking care of their families. Raising tuition will only exacerbate the problems, and perpetuate mediocrity by setting great institutions like UT behind in not only technological advances, but limiting access to affordable higher ed to thousands of qualified students.
Under her view, a university of first class is elitist as has no place here. It is completely the wrong direction. With tuition raising 80 % in the past 8 years, raising it more seems absurd to say the least.
I believe the regents and the Chancellor have tried hard to come to the table with solutions. I for one believe this is the right direction.
Chris Madison
Good article. For the US to gain our economic strength again, we need to educate and graduate more students. Raising tuition will not accomplish this.
Texas Longhorns
James,
Cranberg has it all wrong. He'd sacrifice UT's quality just to be cheap. You misread the other editorial. It isn't about creating a university of the wealthy elite but rather the best and brightest in Texas and in the world. That takes money and investment from the state. So long as Cranberg and his rich friend Rick Perry run the show the state will continue to transfer the burden of financing education to students.
Will Franklin is right. Skyrocketing tuition is unsustainable, and students making poor decisions to go to schools they can't afford is unsustainable. But Will needs to read the Texas Constitution (and the US Constitution as well). UT is called to be a university of the first class, not a glorified community college. If Will and others don't like research and can't afford UT, they should go to community colleges and then transfer to 4 year universities close to home. Then elect state representatives who will adequately fund our universities so that tuition doesn't rise so much.