Legislators wage war on tuition

As IU hints at another large tuition hike if more state funding isn't approved, some Indiana Republicans are threatening to place a tuition cap on the state's colleges and universities.\nSenate President Pro Tempore Robert Garton, R-Columbus, said controlling public universities' tuition rates could benefit families of in-state students in troubling economic times.\n"If the universities continue to insist that they are totally independent of both the private sector and state government, and ignore their charters as public institutions, the legislature may cap their tuition increases," Garton told the Associated Press.\nChair of the Senate Finance Committee Larry Borst, R-Greenwood, said IU's request for 20 percent increases are insensitive to Indiana's financial plight. \n"They need to come out of their ivory tower and look at the real world," Borst said.\nBorst said with the economic outlook of Indiana, higher education may not receive the funding they expect. He ranked K-12 education and corrections as top of the priority list and higher education somewhere further down.\nPresident of the IU board of trustees Fred Eichhorn said with the state's economic problems, tuition increases cannot be ruled out.\n"The problem is with a flat or decreased state support, we have to look somewhere else for revenue to operate at a good level," Eichhorn said. "Part of our responsibility is to increase the excellence of Indiana University, and that takes money."\nTrustee Sue Talbot added that the state General Assembly is responsible for the education of Indiana.\n"It is in the state statutes that they have a responsibility to educate all in the state," Talbot said. "As an alum and a board member, I hope they take that into consideration when forming these policies."\nEichhorn added that tuition increases are often needed as a last resort to obtaining funds.\n"If the state support declines, we can only obtain funds through one, contributions and secondly, tuition," Eichhorn said.\nEichhorn said tuition increases are also necessary to attract qualified faculty.\n"The major costs for education are personnel costs," Eichhorn said. "Professors demand a certain salary and you have to pay market price to get the best professors and I believe we deserve the best."\nBut Borst said they, too, should share in the pain of Indiana's budget crunch.\n"Three years in a row, K-12 teachers have not had increases," Borst said. "Yet professors have increased their salary every year."\nIn order to keep tuition in control, Borst said he feels universities should look internally to find ways to reduce spending.\n"They need to cut their own budgets," Borst said. "Their budgets have increased about 47 percent in the last four years."\nBorst added that the next president of IU may make over $600,000, an amount he feels is too high. \n"The IU president makes $300,000 and they're thinking of raising it," Borst said. "I mean, the justice of the (Indiana) Supreme Court gets paid $129,000."\nAfter reviewing a study on administrative costs, Eichhorn said the University has made efforts to combat these costs. \n"We are doing our best to reduce administrative costs," he said.\nDon Weaver, IU's director of state relations, said he feels the general assembly should leave issues of tuition to IU.\n"I think that responsibility lies with the board of trustees," Weaver said.\nThe likelihood of such legislative action is not yet determined. Weaver said he has heard of more talk among legislators this year about a possible tuition cap, but specific action has not been taken. \nStill, Borst said if universities continue to demand more funds, it may be a possibility.\n"Depends on their attitude if we see a tuition cap," Borst said. "If they keep demanding a 20 percent increase, then it looks likely."\nBorst added that of all of the solutions to improving public universities, a tax increase is the least likely. \n"I don't see the state having any thought of raising taxes now," he said\nBorst said the state deficit, now estimated at $850 million, will play a major role in deciding university budgets.\n"We took in less than we expected," Borst said. "We received $700 million less than our budget. We are looking at the prospect of war, the prospect of recession. To put together a budget for the next 30 months, will be difficult."\nStill, Borst said the future may hold promise for IU. \n"You don't have to write a budget until months from now," Borst said. "Things can change"