Tuition increase discriminates against out-of-state students
The tuition increase for out-of-state students attending South Dakota colleges and universities is an insult and is discrimination against those students. The increase should be shared among all students, rather than have the burden fall 100 percent on out-of-state students.
As most people may have heard, the South Dakota Board of Regents has placed a freeze on in-state students tuition, while at the same time increasing out-of-state students tuition by 7 percent, beginning summer of 2014. On the other hand, in-state students tuition will remain the same as 2013.
The 7 percent increase will be applied only to students whose residency is from a state other than South Dakota. It puts a larger burden on out-of-state students who already pay more than in-state students, for the same education.
“It is unfair and is discriminatory against the out-of-state students,” Junior Alex Miller from Sioux City, Iowa, said. “The increase should be shared among all students, not just the out-of-state students paying an extra 7 percent, so that in-state students tuition doesn’t go up.”
Miller said he understands that in-state tuition should be lower than out-of-state, but if there is an increase like this, it should be shared among the entire student body, otherwise it is discrimination against one group.
In a system where all students receive the same education, it only makes sense for all students to share the burden of the increased tuition.
“I think it could affect future enrollment by out-of-state students at USD,” Miller said. “If I was a freshman thinking about coming to USD, I might think twice knowing that an increase like this could happen again.”
The increase could have an effect on future out-of-state student enrollment, but only time will tell. Either way, it is discrimination to only increase out-of-state tuition, and also unfair to have those students shoulder the burden all themselves, just so in-state students can save on their tuition.
One thought on “Tuition increase discriminates against out-of-state students”
Comments are closed.
In response to the author who thinks that out-of-state students are being treated unfairly by paying more tuition, I say this: Life is unfair. The residents of South Dakota have paid taxes to our state government every year so we can build universities like USD, NSU, and other institutions of higher learning. Out of state students are paying more for the fact that they didn’t live in this great state until they needed more education.
If you feel so passionate about paying too much tuition, you can become a resident of South Dakota and then lobby the Board of Regents to lower tuition for everybody.
Adam Bing