EDITORIAL: Tuition hike blame is misplaced

Over the past few years, the state university system has seen an increase in tuition to the maximum yearly allowance of 15 percent.

This yearly increase has been approved by both the state legislature and the University Board of Trustees—eight percent by the House and seven percent by the BoT.

Yet, as University students see a hike in tuition, they are also experiencing cuts and a tightening in restrictions when it comes to state scholarships and financial aid programs such as Bright Futures.

In reaction to Tallahassee’s moves on higher education, students across Florida and at FIU have been speaking out against these changes in an attempt to hold those they consider at fault accountable, such as University President Mark B. Rosenberg.

Yes, Rosenberg may be the one requesting additional state funding for the University, but it is the state that is cutting said funding, and as a result it is the students that are feeling the financial burden of these budget cuts.  In response to the financial plight of higher education, President Barack Obama, in his State of the Union address, called out state governments and public universities.

Obama advised Congress that a freeze on student loan interest rates, which are scheduled to double in July, is necessary, and work-study related jobs need to be doubled. Colleges and universities need to do their part as well.

“We can’t keep subsidizing skyrocketing tuition; we’ll run out of money,” said Obama. “So let me put colleges and universities on notice: If you can’t stop tuition from going up, the funding you get from taxpayers will go down.”

Regardless of this message that Obama is trying to give the college aged youth, there is only so much the federal government can do when our state’s Republican Governor Rick Scott, who has been following in the footsteps of Jeb Bush’s push towards the privatization of education across the board, refuses to fund higher education.

If students feel adamant about previous, current and future tuition increases, they should not picket the University president’s office. Instead they should be getting involved in civic affairs and begin to appeal towards members of the local and state government in order for changes to come about.

At the end of the day, it is Rosenberg’s responsibility to increase the value of our degrees upon our entrance into our respective job markets, and the only way to do such is by funding programs that will better impact not only the local community, but on a national scope as well.

Although we may not agree with tuition being hiked at an annual rate of 15 percent, we do not see the blame being placed in the hands of Rosenberg. The truth is that if Florida’s state government, which we are all constituents of, continues to go against what the voice of the people are saying, then the people must react to such things, take to the polls in November’s election and reshape our local legislature.

Keep this in mind, FIU: all 40 state senate seats, and all 120 state house of representative seats are up for election on Nov. 6, 2012.

If change is what students truly want, then this is the year that changes can truly be made. Now is the time to take that message to the streets.