Show us the wasted money

If it seems like IU gets more expensive every year, you're not imagining things.\nAdministration officials revealed at a forum last week that tuition for the 2005-2006 school year will be raised. This comes on the heels of a 4-percent raise for the 2004-2005 school year. The exact amount of the tuition hike is uncertain at this point, but it will be anywhere up to 4.9 percent for undergraduates. The increase might be even more for graduate and professional students. \nTrustees will base their decision on the amount of funding received from the state legislature, an amount yet to be announced. Talks are also already underway regarding a similar increase for the 2006-2007 school year. \nThese yearly increases make higher education less and less accessible to many students. With a college education becoming an increasingly crucial qualification for those entering the work force, the inability to attend college because of these financial obstacles is unacceptable. But does the state want to help students and the economy by giving public universities money they need?\nIU consistently receives less state funding than other Big Ten universities but still had a tuition increase that was below the national average last year. The University has always done its best to stretch limited resources, but it is forced to rely on tuition costs to keep finances afloat. We appreciate the school's efforts to minimize the cost to us by capping the tuition hike at 4.9 percent, but any increase in our already high costs is harmful, and the state government forces us to keep putting up more money. \nAdding insult to injury, the state wants colleges and K-12 schools to stop wasting money and find even more places to scrimp. That's ridiculous. Show us an example of a public school that has money to waste. \nIf IU were known to misuse funds, it would be understandable for the state to withhold the money. But because that's not the case, we're baffled as to why the state isn't doing its part to keep tuition from increasing faster and faster. We've been told, and appreciate, that the state budget is extremely tight and that everyone needs to tighten their belts. \nEducation is fundamental to a strong economy. The state's reluctance to support higher education disappoints us. With all the "brain drain" buzz, state colleges should be among the first recipients of the limited state money.\nIU is a state university relying on both student tuition and state funding to keep running. If state officials don't keep up their end of the funding, students are left scrambling to make up the difference. There's only so much we can afford, and yearly tuition increases of 4 and 5 percent are limiting the availability of higher education, not to mention the state's economic future.\nAs IU President Adam Herbert said, "We hope state leaders recognize the vital role higher education must play in building a 21st-century economy, and we're hopeful our legislators will rise to the formidable challenge."\nWe hope so, too, for the sake of our fellow students and our economy.