In an effort to balance a struggling state budget, Ohio colleges can raise tuition for the first time in two years, ending a valiant attempt to keep higher education affordable. For Ohio students, who are already paying higher-than-average tuition, increased costs will be an obvious hardship in an already fledgling economy.
At Ohio University, officials have announced that they'll keep tuition the same for Fall Quarter, but have so far remained ambiguous about their plans for Winter and Spring. Facing a $15 million to $30 million budget shortfall over the next two years, on top of inevitable funding cuts at the state level, it's easy to see how tempting a tuition increase could be. Especially considering OU's past actions - the Board of Trustees approved about 200 new or increased student fees earlier this year to the tune of about $10,000.
It almost makes sense. After all, education isn't free, and students do use a variety of resources and services on campus. And, it's not like the university has anywhere else to cut costs - like inflated salaries for top administrators or increasingly high sports funding.
Oh, wait...
With the economy crumbling down around us, students are already struggling financially. For some, even the state-approved 3.5 percent increase could be the difference between a college degree and a college dropout. If university administration has our best interests in mind, it'll stop using students as a piggybank to fund its budget shortfalls and find some other way to compensate for its own financial mismanagement. When the Budget Planning Council meets later this month, behind closed doors of course, we can hope it will keep students' well-being in mind.
But, honestly, that's just wishful thinking.
Editorials represent the views of The Post's executive editors.
4 Opinion
With the Ohio tuition freeze now lifted, OU students could end up in hot water
