Tuition: Enough is enough

Last December, the Iowa Board of Regents approved a 3.75 percent tuition increase for the University of Northern Iowa. Considering this is the first tuition increase many current UNI students have seen that remains within the rate of inflation, such a relatively small increase is a breath of fresh air.

However, students can only continue to see the cost of higher education climb for so long before UNI ceases to be an affordable institution. Tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate student this year costs $7,350, while today's seniors were only paying $6,376 as freshmen — that's nearly a $1,000 increase. The cost of room and board climbed roughly $600 in that same time, meaning that the average UNI senior is paying about $1,600 more for their education than they were when they came to this university.

We understand that some of this was necessary to counteract inflation and rising education costs, and that much of it was the result of budget shortfalls in the state. But with tuition now comprising the bulk of UNI's general fund, the cost of higher education cannot be increasingly placed on the backs of students.

It is up to our administration, our regents, our educators and we as students to stand up for higher education. The 2012 Iowa legislative session is beginning; work with the Northern Iowa Student Government and write your legislators to ensure that students are heard this year.