Around this time last year, former MSU President M. Peter McPherson called MSU's tuition deal with the state a "unique situation."
If you recall, Gov. Jennifer Granholm spared higher education further cuts by offering Michigan's universities a deal. If tuition increases stayed at the current rate of inflation - at the time, 2.4 percent - she would limit cuts. Although the university still faced a $20 million budget reduction, the deal saved MSU from a huge tuition increase. Prior recession years have seen tuition jumps of almost 10 percent.
What MSU received was a bargain. But no such deals will be afforded to students this year.
Granholm's 2006 fiscal year budget proposal called for a $30 million cut to higher education, and if it wasn't for the Michigan's congressional appropriations committees stalling the proposal on behalf of higher education, university officials would already be planning how much more they are going to charge students to earn an education.
Although it is very plausible that some belt-tightening will have to take place for MSU, the state legislature sent a clear message that it values higher education. The House approved a version of Granholm's budget that holds off a cut until August. The Senate simply rejected it.
The congressional representatives are calling for Granholm to uphold the deal she offered to universities last year. They are hoping to work with the governor to try and spare additional cuts for a budget that must be in place by Oct. 1.
But, as McPherson noted last year, that was a unique situation. The House and Senate might only be stalling the inevitable. Come August, if the funds aren't there, they'll cut higher education, which will translate to an increase in the cost of tuition.
Being optimistic, perhaps Congress will be able to suggest a better solution. Although cutting higher education and saving K-12 education may seem like the lesser of two evils, staying dedicated to keeping higher education affordable is essential for improving the state's economic situation. There won't be anyone educated enough to work at new businesses and stoke the economy if they can't afford college.
The delay has also kept the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station and MSU Cooperative Extension Service - which face $3.3 and $6.7 million cuts, respectively - off the cutting board. Located throughout all of Michigan's counties, extension offices serve the state's farmers. They supply research and development for the agriculture industry, offer educational programs for youth and children and provide research of food security and threats.
If Granholm's mission is to save Michigan's economy, she can't strangle one of its biggest businesses and keep people from being able to access the resources that will make Michigan a better place to live.
