Hoosiers first

Many of us at IU are not the truest of Hoosiers. That is to say, we come from various backgrounds, many of us from outside the fine state of Indiana, and some native Hoosiers relate more to Chicago than Indianapolis. We’re lookin’ at you, Region Rats. Though we disparage the Hoosier State from time to time, even non-native Hoosiers come to love this fine state of soybeans, basketball, and also, we are told, other stuff. The out-of-staters among us are happy to attend IU, but we understand well that IU, being at least partially funded by the state of Indiana, has a duty to serve specifically the interests of Indiana students.\nThat’s why, despite our diverse geographical origins, we applaud the high percentage of the freshman class that came from Indiana high schools. We’ve heard from some who worry that IU’s increasing focus on a national and international scale has injured IU’s mission to serve the citizens of Indiana. Those complaining about high standards screwing over native Hoosiers ignore the fact that out-of-state students essentially pay part of in-state students’ tuition. \nA result of this set-up leads to two counter-intuitive but true conclusions.\n1) The more out-of-state students who attend IU, the more accessible it becomes for Indiana residents. Since tuition costs are rising across the board, it only makes sense to hose the out-of-state kids and reduce the impact on native Hoosiers. Therefore, a Chicagoan attending IU is helping multiple Hoosiers, rather than stealing a spot.\n2.) Higher standards actually retain in-state talent. Plenty of our best and brightest high school students (not to mention basketball recruits) are opting for out-of-state schools with better credentials. By sucking away talented students from other states, we can harness their abilities, plus use their additional tuition to fund scholarships that keep talent in Indiana.\nAnyone still pining for the good ol’ days when anyone in Indiana could get into IU must realize that the good ol’ days ended long ago. Last year, 24,169 people applied to be students; this year, that number was 28,528. Because much of that increase came from out-of-state applicants, it should surprise no one that out-of-state students make up a sizable portion of the class of 2011. Fifty- nine percent of the freshman class hail from Indiana high schools, a substantial majority, considering the national visibility of IU. \nIt’s clear that IU has never stopped in its mission to serve the state of Indiana faithfully, even if the state has long since capped its contributions to IU. The University continues to sponsor scholarship programs for in-state students and admit them at high rates. \nThis isn’t to say that IU does everything it can to remain accessible to the true Hoosiers of Indiana, as we will certainly gripe about later. Still, rising costs and standards are not problems unique to IU, and the Class of 2011 is a living demonstration that IU remains committed to Hoosiers first, and the rest second.