Should State Tuition Be Regulated - 1670 Words

Should State Tuition be Regulated? In 2003, the 78th Legislature of Texas passed House Bill (HB) 3015, also known as the â€Å"Tuition Deregulation† bill. This bill, which took effect on September 1, 2003, transferred authority over the regulation of tuition of state universities from the Texas Legislature to the University Board of Regents. This exchange decreased state funding for Texas Universities, but allowed the individual institutions to compensate for the deficit by increasing tuition. This authority was exercised liberally and the resulting tuition cost burdens have been passed onto Texan families3. When regulation over tuition was under the authority of the legislature, elected officials were mindful of the concerns of their student†¦show more content†¦Before 2003, Texas tuition ranked above the national average for tuition rates, but during 2003, after (HB) 3015 took effect, there was a dramatic rise in tuition prices which marked a significant departure from the tuition prices of the previ ous years. This rapid rate of increase in tuition has been difficult for middle and lower class students to adjust to. Increasingly, students are forced to find alternate means to finance their education. Unfortunately, even though tuition funding from the state has improved in recent years, with the unprecedented rise in costs of tuition burdening students, state funding has become inadequate to compensate for the increased costs. A graph from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, shows that the cost of attendance has risen substantially higher than the aggregate financial aid funds. The impact of tuition increase has made higher education an unaffordable luxury to many financially disadvantaged citizens, the result of which will have widespread consequences for students and Texas as a whole. Impact on Students The impact of higher tuition rates on students has been significant in that the burden of paying for college has fallen increasingly on them. Furthermore, it is not only the cost of tuition that is rising. Students are also faced with rising costs of housing, textbooks, and other essential expenses associated with attending college. From December 2001 to November 2010,