Tuition increase article fails to outline costs to all students
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I was disappointed that the article General fund covers tuition increase (SN 10/27) did not mention how the spring 2009 tuition increase will affect out-of-state students. Before the current increase, out-of-state students saw a 7.1 percent tuition increase that went into effect for the fall 2008 semester. This increase changed the cost per credit for out-of-state students from $797.15 per credit (upper division) to $853.75. Multiply this by a 12-credit course load, and out-of-state students were paying $679 more per semester. With the newest tuition increase, out-of-state students will see an increase of $679 per semester over the last year.
The newest tuition increase is convincing evidence that university officials do not keep in mind the financial needs of out-of-state students. International and out-of-state students offer a diversity to MSU’s campus and contribute to the school’s reputation as a nationally competitive school. These students offer an increase in revenue for the university and recruiters are encouraged to expand admissions of this group of students. But without more resources and consideration for this vulnerable populous, recruiters will have a hard time attracting and keeping out-of-state students when their tuition has the biggest nominal increase. Without a helping hand, the message MSU is sending to out-of-states students is “Stay at home.”
Leah Cameron
international relations senior
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Alex
(10/31/08 11:00am)Report
Michigan is having a hard enough time providing jobs for its own college graduates without worrying about a glut of out-of-state students coming to use our tax-funded resources and leave. So it makes perfect sense that out-of-state tuition would carry a premium.
I’d rather have Michigan pulling in out-of-state WORKERS than worrying about whether the university can become even more inflated than it is now.
student
(10/31/08 11:38am)Report
“out-of-state students coming to use our tax-funded resources and leave”
Alex, do you know when was the last time there was a structure built on campus with state-funded resources? Well, around 1997. It has been quite long since that happened. Also, do you think that all the great MSU professors would come to MSU if they would only have to teach Michiganians? Absolutely not. Professors, in general, want a vibrant and diverse community to spread their knowledge and to make connections with colleagues and students from other parts of the World. Also, MSU would be nothing without the $1.4 bi raised during the capital campaign and, I must say, a lot comes from out-of-state alumni and people that are not from Michigan but think about MSU as a private college.
The economy is suffering everywhere. And, as an out-of-state student I recognize that MSU, as all the universities, take advantage of out-of-state tuition. I am not mad about that because I will only spend 4 years here and I want to see my alma mater get better in every aspect. But giving us, out-of-staters, a break of maybe a couple hundreads or thousands wouldn’t hurt. After all, out-of-state students support MSU, ironically, due to all the scholarships and cheap tuition given to in-state students. I don’t blame in-state students since they pay their taxes, or their parents, but they have to acknowledge what is going on. Out-of-state students give a lot of help to MSU in reputation, academically, and financially. So, in-state students, don’t turn away the people that is helping you.
And, finally, that is one of the main reasons why Michigan is suffering economically. Michigan needs diversity, although they don’t like proposal 2(Affirmative Action), you can still have a good economy. Look at California. They don’t need Proposal 2 to have a diverse economy. Well, that is what Michigan needs: an diverse economy driven by diverse population.
GO GREEN!!