Students need to pay attention to talks about state appropriations.
Last week, the university welcomed the commonwealth’s Senate Appropriations Committee and began talks about state appropriations. These talks are something that Temple has come to understand as crucial to ensuring affordable tuition and success as a state-related university.
However, The Temple News realizes that the majority of students blow off the topic, if considering it at all. This shouldn’t be the case.
State dollars aren’t guaranteed. Yet, too many students complain about rising tuition without putting in the effort before the numbers are released.
In early 2012, Gov. Tom Corbett will release his proposed budget and, if history repeats itself, he will suggest another cut to state-related schools.
Temple has requested a 3 percent increase from this fiscal year’s appropriations. The means tuition will remain the same, or rise, depending on Corbett’s address.
The months following the address will represent a period for Temple to once again make its case for funding, and to educate legislators on the obvious need for access to higher education in order to prepare future leaders of the country.
With rising tuition, college students need to work more hours, in addition to studying for and performing well in multiple college courses.
It’s no secret that Pennsylvania faces a number of challenges in order to adequately fund all sectors of the state. Legislators know education is important, but sometimes they need to be reminded who their constituents are.
As Alexandra Iacovetti reports on page 1, Temple Student Government Student Body President Colin Saltry recognizes the need for more college students to vote so that they can more appropriately hold politicians accountable for their decisions.
In the coming months, Saltry and the student body representatives in the Pennsylvania Association of State-Related Students will organize rallies. The Temple News encourages students to participate.
More importantly, students should write letters, send emails and make phone calls to Harrisburg. Students who neglect to act are indirectly putting their stamp of approval on any cuts to higher education and the subsequent effect on tuition.
It is interesting that you mention performing well in multiple college classes. Has Temple considered – since we technically pay for credit hours – cutting back the non-essential classes that are not relevant to our majors? For example, is it really necessary for us to take Gen. Ed. courses that are not relevant to our majors? For example, I do not see it necessary for an Engineering Major to take a United States History course.
Perhaps (in addition to lobbying for increased aid to the school, though that is debatable) it is time to change the “4-year degree” paradigm that we all know to be false here. For some students (myself included) we do not start our courses for our major until the 2nd semester of Sophmore or the first semester of Junior year. Cutting out the fat of Freshmen year gen eds that waste our money and do not specialize us (if I wanted a rounded education, I’d stick with my high school diploma) would serve students better by making us not be so in debt.
It is different for some majors – I know that my business major doesn’t start until junior year – that start off on a very heavy course load of science and math in Freshman year, but it is indeed possible to cut out unneeded credit hours to save money.
Just a thought.