Texas legislature debating bill that would allow students to 'freeze' tuition

By: Heather Jennings

Posted: 5/7/07

The Texas A&M Class of 2011 may be the first class of freshmen not required to budget for unseen tuition rate increases. The Texas Legislature is debating a bill that would allow students entering a higher education institution to freeze their tuition rates.

Senate Bill 100, authored by Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, would freeze a student's tuition rate and mandatory fees at a rate set by the University when the student enters his or her freshman year. If the student has not graduated at the end of four years, the student would be issued the new tuition rate of that year. Students pursuing five-year degree plans would have their rates set for five years.

In the face of a 58 percent increase in tuition rates at A&M since tuition deregulation in 2003, Shapiro believes this bill will act as a stabilizing influence for families planning to send their children to college. Chris Koranek, student advocate for legislative relations, said students need the ability to predict what they will need for four or five years.

"However, this bill could have a negative impact on freshman classes through greatly increased tuition rates," Koranek said.

Joe Pettibon, assistant provost for Student Financial Aid and a member of the A&M Tuition Policy Advisory Council, said Senate Bill 100 would not solve all tuition problems.

"This bill would help alleviate the tuition increases for the students after their freshman year, but it does not address other fees that students are charged," Pettibon said. "Additionally, the increase to each succeeding freshman class is likely to be very large, and, of course, if you don't graduate in four years, you will receive four years of increases lumped together."

Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, said a crucial step in combating tuition increases is figuring out where all the money universities are appropriated is going. He said it is often difficult to tell where the money that is given to universities is being spent.

Michael O'Quinn, A&M vice president for governmental affairs, said the Texas Legislature has not appropriated enough money to higher education to prevent tuition increases.

Higher education has received general revenue increases from the state, O'Quinn said. Since the 1990s, resources from the state have been largely stagnant, Pettibon said. During this same time period, A&M has tried to minimize tuition increases while improving quality.

In response to pressure from Texas universities, the legislature deregulated tuition in 2003. This gave universities the flexibility to increase tuition rates and meet resource demands without seeking approval from the legislature.

Pettibon said tuition increases are a last resort to increasing revenue.

Although tuition increases are looked upon as a last resort to meeting resource demands, A&M students have seen increases in tuition in the past four years. During the 2003-04 academic year, resident undergraduates paid $92 per semester credit hour. Now, students pay $145.70 per semester credit hour.

If Senate Bill 100 is approved, the practice of spreading tuition increases across all students would be limited to new students, Pettibon said. This means a $1 increase in tuition for all students would become more than a $5 increase in tuition for new students in order to raise the same amount of revenue.

If approved by the legislature and signed by the governor, Senate Bill 100 will take effect Sept. 1.