Legislators question Floyd's tuition plan
Republicans on the Missouri House's higher education committee questioned if funding could keep up with inflation.
Published Dec. 6, 2005
The Missouri General Assembly's higher education committee is noncommittal on the legislature's ability to keep up their side of UM system President Elson Floyd's tuition proposal.
After deciding not to support locked-rate tuition, Floyd proposed an alternative tuition formula at the Board of Curators meeting last week.
The new formula ties tuition increases to inflation and the rate of state funding.
If the legislature's funding keeps up with inflation, tuition would not increase by any more than the rate of inflation, according to the plan.
"The funding availability and the priorities we have at the state level won't allow for guaranteeing that amount of an increase," said Rep. Carl Bearden, R-St. Charles. Bearden is a member of the Missouri House of Representative's Special Committee on Education Funding.
State funding for the UM system has fallen by more than $56 million since fiscal year 2002. Fiscal years begin in July. Board of Curators member Don Walsworth said last week that state funding would have to increase an additional $10 million to $11 million annually to match the growth in inflation.
That has not happened since the fiscal year beginning in July 2004 when funding to the UM system increased by about $12 million, according to a document from Commissioner of Higher Education Greg Fitch that detailed state funding.
Earlier this month, Fitch warned administrators that the state might cut funding for public colleges and universities by up to 12 percent.
Administrators were only asked to report on the possible effects of those cuts. The UM system could lose up to $46 million if the cuts signed into law.
Bearden attributed the possible shortfall to a decrease in state revenue and inefficiencies in higher education.
"My issue here is that I have seen no appreciable change in the delivery of educational services by higher education institutions," Bearden said. "I don't believe you can step into a classroom and see any difference in the way things have been done for years."
Rep. Ed Robb, R-Columbia, said he could not comment on whether state appropriations would increase at the rate of inflation, as Floyd's plan requires. Under the plan, tuition increases would be capped at the rate of inflation as long as state funding all kept up.
Robb said he did not have adequate information, such as the governor's budget plan and state revenue information, to estimate higher education funding.
"It is the intention of the Republican caucus to increase the contributions to higher education when it is possible," Robb said.
Robb said that though revenue rates were increasing, they were not increasing at the rate they were in the late '90s.
He said several factors, such as a rise in energy prices and a growing prison population, would decrease the amount of money available for higher education.
Rep. Sue Schoemehl, D-St. Louis, a member of the same higher education committee, said she was not familiar with Floyd's plan. She said members of the General Assembly have not treated higher education as a priority.
"The majority for the General Assembly have not treated higher education with respect," Schoemehl said.
UM system spokesman Joe Moore said he could not comment on possible opposition to Floyd's plan from members of the General Assembly.
"We look forward to working with state leaders to ensure the university is funded at a level that protects the quality of the education and service we provide," Moore said.
Moore said Floyd's plan showed the direct relationship between tuition rates and state appropriations.
"The policy makes it very clear to the public and state leaders that state support will need to continue to keep up with the cost of higher education if we are going to maintain quality," Moore said.