The Tuition Guarantee is dead. It’s been dead. Somebody please bury it so we can move on to better things.
In the face of the dismal state budget forecast released Tuesday, it is unlikely MSU will receive a preferred level of funding from Michigan lawmakers.
MSU leaders are expected to raise tuition rates significantly for the 2002-2003 academic year.
The Tuition Guarantee, as it was introduced in December 1994 by MSU President M. Peter McPherson, promised students tuition rates would stay in line with the projected rate of inflation.
In June 2000, the MSU Board of Trustees amended the guarantee to stipulate the promised rate would be kept so long as state lawmakers provided an acceptable amount of funding for MSU.
That vote essentially killed the Tuition Guarantee. It’s absurd to label a proclamation a guarantee if it guarantees nothing.
Ever since the alteration, the guarantee has been nothing but a public relations tool to sell the university to prospective students and critics.
Last year’s 8.9 percent tuition increase marked the first hike since the guarantee was introduced that exceeded inflation projections. It was the highest increase at MSU since a 9.9 percent hike in 1993.
While we trust MSU’s policy-makers are concerned with making the nation’s premier land-grant university an affordable investment, it is wrong of them to pretend things are better than they are.
If the future is their concern, MSU leaders should accept the death of the Tuition Guarantee for what it is and move on.
The guarantee was a great idea and worked during a booming economy.
But times have changed. MSU now struggles with a turbulent economy.
Perhaps creating an affordability guarantee would be better for MSU officials and students.
It could include the promise to provide as much financial aid and assistance programs for low-income students as possible, as well as include a promise not to raise costs above the minimum necessary.
College is expensive, especially when costs other than tuition are considered.
A promise by MSU leaders to help students afford college would still be a worthy public relations tool.
We trust university administrators’ drive to keep with the MSU land-grant philosophy by providing a quality and affordable education to the people of Michigan.
In addition, we don’t fear MSU trustees will slap Spartans with an abhorred tuition hike like policy-makers at Central Michigan University did in December by raising their rate by 28 percent.
MSU leaders should illustrate the school’s affordability mission with realistic goals instead of pretend promises.
