The Future of Arizona's Public Universities
I've got a 17 year old who wants to go to the University of Arizona. Question is, can her mother and I afford it? This is an issue for thousands of Arizona parents and their high school seniors.
Let's face it, the cost to go to college isn't as cheap as it used to be. And it's only getting more expensive as the Arizona Board of Regents will vote on tuition increases at all three state universities: Northern Arizona University, Arizona State University, and U of A.
It's not as if it's THAT expensive. But many families don't readily have the $6-7,000 a year in tuition, plus another 5 to 6 grand for room and board. Then there's the oh so cheap textbooks. The list goes on, but I digress.
The last of the babies of the baby boomer generation are in the education pipeline and will greatly expand the demand on public and private universities. How can public universities continue to grow to accommodate tens of thousands of new students while keeping tuition affordable? Oh yea, then there's this little thing called a RECESSION! Budget cuts, bigger classes, yadda, yadda, yadda.
Just some of the issues we'll put to Fred and Fred: Board of Regents member Fred Duval and Regent President Fred Boice. Have a question, comment, concern, solution? Your ideas are welcome below!
Posted by
Paul Atkinson - Here and Now Producer at
11:00
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(I sent in this comment earlier, but I'm not sure it went through.)
Thank you for considering my question for your guests from the AZ Board of Regents.
With the cost of a Bachelor's degree from Arizona's three public universities continuing to increase, would the AZ Board of Regents consider allowing community colleges to offer four-year degree programs in selected, high-need areas such as nursing, criminal justice, education, etc.?
I live near Eastern Arizona College and know they have attempted to persuade the legislature to pass enabling legislation that would allow them to offer four-year degree programs at a fraction of the cost of our universities. I believe the Board of Regents has opposed this concept.
How can the Board of Regents reconcile their commitment to quality and affordable higher education with their objections to allowing community colleges to offer four-year degree programs?
Tens of thousands of Arizona students who cannot afford a degree from ASU or the UofA would be able to earn a quality Bachelor's degree from a community college if the Board of Regents and the AZ legislature would support this concept.
Thank you.
Kimball Hansen
Could you have your guests comment on the relative affordability of Arizona's public universities, when compared with other public state universities? I worked at NAU for several years and thought that the quality of education the students received was a bargain for the price. Yet I continue to hear of protests over the "high" tuition and proposed tuition increases. How do students and parents expect the universities to meet increasing demand with a continued commitment to quality without tuition increases? I myself graduated from a state university in my home state (TN) which had far higher tuition and, in my opinion, an inferior level of educational quality.
Bonding money for Construction at our Universities is not being released by the State Senate. This means needed buildings will not be timely constructed. Don't our politicians realize that the release of this money means much needed Construction jobs and Construction jobs mean Materials will be purchased from local businesses? This would be a win-win situation for our state and yet our elected officials seem to be playing politics. What can the Board of Regents do to correct this situation?
My concern centers on the nearly 50% increase in the cost of graduate tuition. Last summer (and last year), a
three-credit graduate course cost about $1000. This fall, the cost is about $1500. I hope that ABOR recognizes that this places a huge financial burden on science and math teachers who seek to meet the requirements to become "Highly Qualified" in their disciplines. Our state cannot simultaneously decry the lack of teacher preparation AND set the price for this professional development out of the reach of those who most need it.
