While tuition increases are rarely welcomed, the recent $350 increase in graduate student tuition was well structured and serves an important purpose.
The additional funds will go toward faculty retention efforts, which are particularly valuable for these graduate students that work so closely with the faculty.
As many graduate students have a significant portion of their tuition covered by their respective academic departments, it would seem as though this tuition increase has little effect on students.
By increasing tuition by a dollar amount instead of a percentage, it was ensured that the gap between in-state and out-of-state tuition didn’t increase, which would hinder the tuition remission program.
The program allows out-of-state students to pay in-state tuition by covering the difference if they agree to serve as a teaching assistant, research assistant or fellow. If the gap was to increase, the program would be able to fund fewer students. Not only would this be of detriment to the graduate students that would not receive aid, but also to undergraduates that would be deprived of valuable teaching resources associated with these positions.
Increasing tuition by the same amount for all students is not only practically effective — it also ensures that out-of-state students don’t carry an unnecessary financial burden, which happens all too often with undergraduate tuition increases.
Policymakers should look to this as a model for future tuition increases that prioritizes practicality and fairness.
