House works to change higher ed funding
A revision to a failed House bill includes changes to annual funding and rules for locked-rate tuition.
Published Sept. 16, 2005
State legislators are reacting to the UM system's talk about locked-rate tuition by proposing increased funding to the state's universities.
The Missouri House of Representatives' Interim Committee on Higher Education Funding could introduce a bill, which would set total funding for all state universities at $1 billion, as early as December. State universities last received $1 billion in 2002. Appropriations have decreased since, to about $715 million for fiscal year 2006, which began in July.
The legislators interviewed about the bill, including members of the committee, did not explain how the bill would directly affect plans for locked-rate tuition but said it was part of efforts to overhaul higher education funding.
Rep. Ed Robb, R-Columbia, indicated his support for locked-rate tuition as part of those efforts.
"This is a move that families and students should applaud," Robb said. "If nothing else, it gives you a great deal of certainty for the next four years."
Robb said provisions that specifically addressed locked-rate tuition would be added to the bill. These provisions include guidelines for students who take more than four years to complete their degree. Student leaders have raised concerns that those students would be adversely affected by locked-rate tuition because the policy might provide a guaranteed rate only for four years.
Robb said it was likely the provision would say that seniors who take an extra year to graduate would pay the rate juniors behind them pay. Robb said that with adequate funding — which he said locked-rate tuition seems contingent upon — legislators plan to put limits on how much tuition can be raised for incoming freshman from year to year. He said the limit would be "probably at the $2,000 mark."
The original bill, sponsored by Rep. Carl Bearden, R-St. Charles, was proposed in March but was not scheduled for a vote in the House. Bearden also is the sponsor of the new bill.
Bearden said it was too early to predict the path of the bill or how it will resemble the old one.
Bearden did not take a position on locked-rate tuition.
"I certainly agree with the notion that universities need to find ways to make higher education more affordable," Bearden said.
Ted Farnen, chief of staff for Sen. Chuck Graham, D-Columbia, said locked-rate tuition should be considered, but all implications of such a proposal should be discussed before a decision is made.
"If you're going to freeze tuition rates for students, there needs to be a commitment to consistently fund schools by the state," Farnen said. "This kind of a proposal requires dedicated support, and in the past couple of years that support has waned."
Farnen said Graham has a second concern about locked-rate tuition.
"The senator is very concerned that if this is a good idea, why aren't other schools doing it?" Farnen said.
Legislators also are concerned about the role vouchers will play in the new bill.
Rep. Judy Baker, D-Columbia, said she is cautious toward any change to higher education funding. She said she is concerned about public vouchers being used to pay for private education.
"It should be a top priority to support our public higher education institutions to the point where we have world class institutions before considering how to support private institutions," Baker said.