SectionsWeb site would track tuition hikes
Sarah Erst
Issue date: 2/19/08 Section: News
The U.S. government may soon place a scarlet letter on the chest of universities that raise tuition more than it wants.
Pending legislation would create a Web site listing colleges that have had recurring tuition hikes and the factors that caused them.
This potential change is a part of the College Opportunity and Affordability Act, which was passed in the U.S. House of Representatives Feb. 7.
This Web site would include a list of the 5 percent of colleges with the highest tuition and fees as well as a list of the 5 percent of colleges that have the lowest tuition and fees.
The Web site would also include a list of the 5 percent of colleges that had the largest percent change in their tuition and fees over the most recent three-year period.
If a college appeared on the third list with a large percent change in its tuition and fees, then it would have to submit an explanation of the factors leading to this increase to the U.S. Department of Education.
If the bill is passed, all colleges would be required to post their tuition increases over a three-year period on their respective Web sites.
The bill would also make sure that states maintain their higher education funding as well as offer incentives to colleges, such as additional need-based aid, to encourage colleges to not increase tuition prices.
Provost Belinda McCarthy said Missouri is already on the right track by capping tuition increases.
Missouri State University had a tuition increase of $250 per year since the 2006-2007 academic year, $131 less than the national average increase of $381.
This is for Missouri residents taking 15 hours per semester.
For the 2007-2008 academic year, tuition at Missouri State was projected to be $5,988 for in-state residents, about $197 less than the national average yearly tuition of $6,185, according to www.collegeboard.com.
An official from The Center for American Progress and Campus Progress said he thinks positively of this effort to keep tuition low in Missouri.
Pending legislation would create a Web site listing colleges that have had recurring tuition hikes and the factors that caused them.
This potential change is a part of the College Opportunity and Affordability Act, which was passed in the U.S. House of Representatives Feb. 7.
This Web site would include a list of the 5 percent of colleges with the highest tuition and fees as well as a list of the 5 percent of colleges that have the lowest tuition and fees.
The Web site would also include a list of the 5 percent of colleges that had the largest percent change in their tuition and fees over the most recent three-year period.
If a college appeared on the third list with a large percent change in its tuition and fees, then it would have to submit an explanation of the factors leading to this increase to the U.S. Department of Education.
If the bill is passed, all colleges would be required to post their tuition increases over a three-year period on their respective Web sites.
The bill would also make sure that states maintain their higher education funding as well as offer incentives to colleges, such as additional need-based aid, to encourage colleges to not increase tuition prices.
Provost Belinda McCarthy said Missouri is already on the right track by capping tuition increases.
Missouri State University had a tuition increase of $250 per year since the 2006-2007 academic year, $131 less than the national average increase of $381.
This is for Missouri residents taking 15 hours per semester.
For the 2007-2008 academic year, tuition at Missouri State was projected to be $5,988 for in-state residents, about $197 less than the national average yearly tuition of $6,185, according to www.collegeboard.com.
An official from The Center for American Progress and Campus Progress said he thinks positively of this effort to keep tuition low in Missouri.
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