Could we see a 77 percent tuition hike at public colleges?
A week ago, we sat down with UGA president Michael Adams who was concerned about the ongoing hits to higher education in the state budget. His main concern was losing good faculty members to competing schools because of an inability to come up with counter offers. (He said some interesting things about the disparity in high school quality in the state, but I will write that up later.)
But his boss was at the Legislature today with even more dire warnings: It would take a 77 percent tuition increase at Georgia’s colleges and universities to meet the demand for a $385 million cut in the state’s higher education system budget, said Chancellor Erroll Davis.
That was not what lawmakers wanted to hear. They did not want Davis to tell them that the system could not sustain many more cuts or find any real money outside of raising tuition through the roof. “We are in a budget crisis,” state Sen. Seth Harp (R-Midland) told him. “We have got to cut another $200 to $300 million out of your budget. Please, prioritize where those cuts will come or we will do it blindly.”
Lawmakers threw out ideas for how the system could save money, but those cuts would not produce nearly enough in savings. For example, state Rep. Bob Lane (R-Statesboro) asked how much a 1 percent salary cut would save the system. Davis couldn’t answer, but my AJC colleagues checked and found out that a 1 percent cut to the systems’ teaching budget, the overwhelming majority of which goes to salaries, would save $19 million.
It seems the writing is on the wall for a tuition hike. In our visit, Adams noted that Georgia still is considered a great deal in public college tuition, and there is a fair argument for raising it.
A tuition hike at UGA is really a new burden on lottery dollars since so many Athens students are HOPE Scholarship recipients. The lottery folks already have warned of problems meeting demand, so that seems to point to a collision course between supply and demand.
Not sure how this is going to end, but I would suggest that college students start giving up those weekly Starbucks double shots and the iTune purchases. A tuition hike seems apparent unless lawmakers consider raising taxes or “fees” on something somewhere. (I still vote for the cigarette tax.)
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102 comments Add your comment
Ole Guy
February 25th, 2010
1:34 pm
Last I heard, USMA/West Point was still free…ANY TAKERS?
Cora in Roswell
February 25th, 2010
1:37 pm
mystery poster…
My source for information participated in the HOPE planning. The original terms did have an income cap of $66,000, which was later removed, due to the popularity of the Lottery.
Maureen Downey
February 25th, 2010
1:38 pm
Mystery Poster; Your comment sent me back to the AJC archives to read about early HOPE debates. I thought this story was particularly interesting, given it involved a state senator named Perdue. Maureen
What?
February 25th, 2010
1:58 pm
Does anybody really care about some one so stupid as to smoke in 2010? If they are so poor as DeKalb Conservative implies, how in the hell do they buy cigarettes. A better question is ” is it fair to tax continuous poor judgment? Hell yes! Make better choices. It affects us all, rich or poor.
I heard a true conservative say hes not against education but against paying for the inflationary and unnecessary bureaucracy that is leeching of education. To than gentleman I say Amen!
What?
February 25th, 2010
1:59 pm
*to that gentleman.
What?
February 25th, 2010
2:01 pm
*leeching off education. The rising cost is in salaries and pension being paid for forcing repeat classes and fees, etc.
Cora in Roswell
February 25th, 2010
2:16 pm
Zell Miller deserves much praise for the HOPE scholarship. My job takes me all over the US where I frequently talk with college financial aid officers. Although many states have copied HOPE, none seem to have secured its source (Lottery) in such an iron-clad way as Georgia. In other states, I’m told Lottery funds are frequently raided for pork barrel purposes, so that there’s never enough left for college scholarships.
Georgia Prof
February 25th, 2010
3:46 pm
I teach at a University System four-year college. We are building a new building because our enrollment has more than tripled since 1990. The building was approved years ago–and it’s sorely needed. We literally have no classroom space left–all the classrooms on campus are crammed full. Our particular school ranks near the bottom in the pay scale for colleges in Georgia. Our student/teacher ratio is too high. Our student/staff ratio is far too high. We have no fat in our budget to cut–none. Education at our school is bound to suffer. We can’t hire new faculty because we don’t have the money. We are forced to use part-timers, who receive no benefits, to fill in the gaps–and though they are fine people, they have no commitment to the school in the way that a full-timer would have, and they can’t relieve the load of advising and committee service that full-timers must shoulder in addition to teaching. I have a few more years to retirement–but I may just give up and retire.
By the way, if you’re curious, you can find out what every USG employee earns at http://www.open.georgia.gov/sta/viewMain.aud (though the figures are somewhat inflated–the State of Georgia subcontracted its payroll system to California last year, and the California company duplicated one month’s salary, so many if not all of these are too high by 1/10 to 1/12 of the total).
John Peterson
February 25th, 2010
4:16 pm
The government has only one option — legalization of marijuana.
Ken
February 25th, 2010
4:49 pm
Lay offs, rate hikes, cigarette taxes — the same old tired proposals. How about LEGALIZING card rooms in the state of Georgia? Not casinos but card rooms — poker only! California determined many years ago that poker was a game of “skill” thus separating it from roulette, craps and other “games of chance”. Put a big card room up I-85 in the Gwinnett area with all of the new arenas and people would fly in, limo to the card room for the weekend and head-out. The state collects mega-taxes from card rooms and there profits plus the tourist taxes of everyone coming in for quick poker weekends. The “old guys” in under the Gold Dome need to move into the 21st century and think of other ways to raise money for the state!
Ronin
February 25th, 2010
4:50 pm
@ John Peterson, you may be on to something. The tax proceeds from the legal sale of marijuana would more than cover the expense for higher education, with enough left over to give all k-12 teachers a 10% raise. a true win-win.
the only exception is that you CAN’T LEGALLY SELL MARIJUANA ON SUNDAY, so it would be on the same field as alcohol.
CollegeStudent
February 25th, 2010
7:12 pm
I have an idea! How about all college students drop out and then work our way to the legislative board. That way when this comes around again (probably next year) it will not be a problem because we work for them!!!
CollegeStudent
February 25th, 2010
7:16 pm
Another point! Why is it when we try and better ourselves, the dang government and politicians screw it up!
Another GA Prof
February 25th, 2010
8:11 pm
As a prof at a “lower tier” university….we were informed that there will be programs cut and layoffs next year. There will be enrollment caps. There will be tuition increases. Faculty at my university make modest salaries, most about 40-60K, teach 5 classes and have tons of other responsibilities. We are not elitists. We have taken pay cuts this year (called furloughs) with NO CHANGE in our job or responsibilities. How would you like that–be laid off for a day, but still have to do the same amount of actual work! At least when the DMV employees are off, they don’t have to work. We have been told to expect blood. Rumors are flying….1 out of every 6 or 7 faculty to be gone. Good luck retaining the best faculty and good luck taking Biology I so you can go to med school, better think about plan B. Kiss your educational system in GA good bye. There is no value placed on education in GA. There is no respect for faculty and what we are trying to do to educate (actually, re-educate the mess given to us by the high schools!) the citizens!
bootney farnsworth
February 25th, 2010
8:30 pm
well, the poo has really and truly hit the fan now.
we’ve seen this coming for years, and both the state and the regents just chose to look the other way. and now the citizens of Georgia are
left to pay the freight.
and you’re gonna for a long time
bootney farnsworth
February 25th, 2010
8:35 pm
@jacketfan
you’re right about GPC, but not necessarily for the reasons you think.
the enrollment spike has less to do with the economy – both national and GPC’s relatively cheap costs – than it does with Anthony Tricoli’s
delusions of grandure.
from the moment he got to GPC he has flaunted every bit of rational thinking in his quest to have the largest enrollment in Georgia.
it’s ego, pure and simple. and its gonna kill GPC
bootney farnsworth
February 25th, 2010
8:45 pm
@another Ga Prof:
like you, I work for the BOR. but for whatever its worth, you’re one up on me. at least faculty has tenure, which is some form of protection
against presidents on a rampage. those of us who are classified as professional staff have no such buffer, slender as it might be for you.
at GPC, we have had our workload steadily increased, and some folks have been compelled to work on furlough days.
whatever system of checks and balances which supposedly exist for college administrations have failed completely.
otter
February 25th, 2010
8:58 pm
From the Atlanta Journal Constitution
“We’re becoming a socialist society when we say that you shouldn’t raise tuition at all,” Balfour said, adding that his son attends college in Georgia and that tuition “is embarrassingly cheap.”
“I don’t want a commitment from you you’re not going to raise tuition,” Balfour said. “I’d rather have a commitment from you that you are.”
According to the National Conference of State Legislators:
(state Senator Balfour, A Republican, Sen. Balfour is Chairman of the powerful Senate Rules Committee. In addition, he serves on the Senate Appropriations, Education and Youth, and the Health and Human Services committees. He is on the board of both the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce, and represents Georgia on the Executive Committee of the Republican Legislative Campaign Committee (RLCC). He also is an appointee to the Executive Committee, the governing board of the Southern Legislative Conference (SLC)….He is an executive with the Waffle House, Inc., and has been with them for over 25 years.
Sen. Balfour is a graduate of Bob Jones University. He and his wife, Ginny, are the parents of a son, Trey. They attend Grace Fellowship Church.
From the state’s web site:
2312 Waterscape Trail; Snellville, GA 30078; Phone: (770) 729-5764 (office phone)* Email: don.balfour@senate.ga.gov
According to followthemoney.org:
Total accepted contributions to date :$32,740,088.
Top contributors in 2008 alone: Finance, real estate and insurance $4,592,396. The Republican Party itself 4,147,697. “Health” lobby, $3,928,557. Lawyers and lobbyists $2,996,556. ….et alia
In my opinion:
Another charter member of the of the “Just Us League”. Limiting educational opportunities for the poor in order to protect the elite status of big contributors. I highly recommend the website “followthemoney.org”
this state needs to do better by its uneducated, for financial and practical reasons. the more educated the population, the more they will contribute, and yes, pay.
bootney farnsworth
February 26th, 2010
8:19 am
why not a casino or two in underground?
tax that.
jim d
February 26th, 2010
10:05 am
Ole Guy,
last I heard it was valued at roughly $350,000 of tax payer money.
Ole Guy
February 26th, 2010
10:12 am
Thanks, Jimmy D…and that’s before flight School!
jim d
February 26th, 2010
10:18 am
one penny per gallon
We consume 21 million barrells a day—or 882,000,000 gallons
@.01 per gallon = $8,882,000 per day x 365 day = $ 3,241,930,000 per year.
just guessing here but seems since money is always the solution that this amount would buy a lot of extra smarts.
Ole Guy
February 26th, 2010
10:18 am
Joe College, your’s is the most astute question of the century. It dovetails nicely with the not-so-calming refrain “I’m from the government and I’m here to help”. Perhaps as you venture into life, you might find an answer to that perplexing question.
jim d
February 26th, 2010
10:20 am
provided they don’t crash—it’s still a bargin
Ole Guy
February 26th, 2010
11:44 am
Jimmy, every landing’s a crash…it’s all a matter of degree.
DreamsofOne
February 26th, 2010
12:33 pm
Not all College Students are double shot Starbucks esspreso guzzlers. I for one fall under the category of impoverished and struggling college student barely making rent. Since I was sixteen I dreamt about becoming a Shovel Bum or Archaeology Professor. Since I am very poor I am on the eight year graduation track. Will this bill be a mercy killing to a struggling young man’s dream?
college student
February 26th, 2010
12:40 pm
These issues we’re having with the education are so serious, infuriating, and frightening that my professor postponed our class discussion to have a group discussion about these problems. I had no idea that things were getting this bad. It’s upsetting and angers me that my education and the people who work in education are going to suffer because the government doesn’t know how to prioritize. I want to be able to graduate on time and get the degrees I want so that I can make a good leaving. However, it doesn’t look like I’ll be so fortunate to have the opportunity to get a good education because I’m either going to not be able to afford it or the schools I want to go to are going to be shut down because they can’t meet their budget requirements. Something has to be done and I understand that sacrifices have to be made and some decisions that are going to be made are going to be hard to live with. The decisions that have already been made are hurting us really bad now and it’s sad to admit that it’s only going to get worse. It isn’t fair.
It isn’t fair to the teachers who have paid to get their masters to get better pay have had to get their pay cut to meet budget. Knowing that kills my hopes of getting my masters. My hopes of getting a college education are being threatened and I’m scared and angry. What’s going to happen if kids like me don’t get a college education? We’re not going to have as many people in the future who have the knowledge to do anything to help improve our country and it will be all because of money. I don’t think that we should have to go to the extreme of raising tuition 77%. If that happens then no one except the rich are going to go to school, so there goes more that half of the students population which will result in closing down the school because there aren’t enough students to keep up with the costs or more teachers and staff will be let go. There are other things that can be done to find the money.
In class we talked about raising tuition maybe 10-15% which will allow students who receive HOPE and other financial aid to stay in school, like myself. Some fees will have to be raised, some programs at school will have to be cut, and there will be furlough days for faculty and staff but all this is bearable. I think that some taxes should be raised and that the cigarette and alcohol tax is a great idea. One student brought up the idea that even lottery tickets should be taxed because these are all things that people are going to continue to buy and a little raise in price won’t be that bad. I think that the “elite” people in education and in government seats should get furloughed too. I just don’t want things to get too extreme. Something needs to be done that isn’t so extreme that it will crush students’ dreams and educators careers. I can’t afford school with how things are now. I go to school off of financial aid and am so blessed to have this help and because I receive financial aid I appreciate my education I’m getting more and put more effort into it because other people are paying for me to do well. If financial aid gets cut and everything else rises I won’t be able to afford school. It’s not easy going to school and working at the same time and to out all this money, time, and effort into it just to have it snatched up from underneath me isn’t something I want. I get things are really bad not just in education but everywhere but it doesn’t need to get worse. We need to start caring more and start to really think about what is important.
Kate
February 26th, 2010
3:21 pm
Newsflash: Cigarettes hurt the poorest of the poor.
bootney farnsworth
February 26th, 2010
5:22 pm
@ college student
in this society, you can’t not get your degree. no matter how long it takes. if you don’t you’ll end up poor and unable to get a decent job.
while the 77% is a scare tactic, the problems are very real. I suspect about 1 of every 7 non protected BOR employees are gonna have to go. the protected ones get raises.
the sad truth is the legislature and the Regents have been asleep at the switch for so long this is unavoidable.
Concerned Parent
February 26th, 2010
7:14 pm
This subject fills me with dread for the future of our children. When will the Governor’s office wake up and realize that by cutting the budget for education, he is cutting the throat of the state?? Kids are our future! We need to INVEST in our kids’ education, not cut the daylights out of the school budgets! This is totally ridiculous! I think the Governor and legislature should take a pay cut and leave the education budget alone!
I was an adjunct instructor at a technical college until Sonny Purdue decided to cut the budgets for the technical colleges in the state, and I have only now been able to find a job paying minimum wage. Does he not realize that when he cuts the budgets of the schools, the first ones to suffer are the students and instructors, because the colleges have a knee-jerk reaction to cut the number of instructors, which in turn decreases the classes that the school is able to offer.
Sonny Purdue, WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL OF THAT STIMULUS MONEY THAT WAS GIVEN TO GEORGIA????????? Some of that money was to go to education! Where did it go??
This is totally ridiculous! We need to elect someone to the governor’s office that has run their own small business, or who has been a single mom and actually had to live on a budget. These legislators do not know how to handle money, and as for budgets – Don’t get me started!
bootney farnsworth
February 26th, 2010
9:35 pm
At GPC we’re wondering where the axe will fall, and how hard.
At the same time we’re wondering how Tricoli will defend his decisions.
No one believes the new Atlanta Center for Civic Engagement and Service Learning will be touched.
Ole Guy
February 26th, 2010
11:36 pm
Hey Dreams, stay focused. I know that’s easier said than done, but as long as you maintain that goal, it’ll happen. During my undergrad years, I thoroughly enjoyed studies in anthropology by way of archaeological digs. It’s a field which I know is going to be in great demand, both in the medical disciplines and in the social sciences. Good luck, Guy!
Concerned Student
February 27th, 2010
10:01 am
I see alot of great ideas on this board that would be very beneficial to raising the needed funds for education. We need to get our priorities right or this country will continue to fall from the ranks of the elite!! Raise taxes on smokers, drinkers, and excessive gas users. If that doesn’t fix the problem then we have way more issues than a 300 million dollar problem!!!!
Ole Guy
February 27th, 2010
12:37 pm
Concerned, are you referring to funding sources for the educational establishment or for Concerned? There are already train loads of monies within the establishment. The problem, in ultra-simplistic manner, lies in the lack of responsible fiscal management. If your issue is one of funding sources for the purpose of assisting students, I couldn’t agree with you more in that we do need to reorient our priorities. However, simply taxing the excesses of society is not the answer. You might check for possible funding sources within the field you wish to enter. Scholarships, of one flavor or another, are often hidden somewhere in the weeds. You’re absolutely right…starting a career, in earnest, at an early age, with that deficit hanging in the air, is tantamount to starting the swim portion, in the triathelon of life, with an anchor tied to your foot.
Yours, Concerned, is no easy task. But you know, it never was. In time to come, you will look back and view these challenges as my generation views our challenges of yesteryear…SEIZE THE DAY!
Educator
February 27th, 2010
3:30 pm
Means-testing HOPE by standardized test scores would exclude a lot of the lower income folks that actually fund HOPE. Maybe that’s not a concern in some circles, but this should be for everyone: standardized test scores don’t predict success in college very well at all. It’s a one-off test. High school GPA (unweighted) even with all the variability, is a much better predictor of sucess in college.
Educator
February 27th, 2010
3:47 pm
While I might argue that we have priority problems (more money should go here vs. there), the real issue is a structural tax problem: the income tax brackets were last meaningfully updated in the 1930s. In theory, we have a progressive tax structure, but the top tax bracket is 6%, which workers reach when they hit $7,000 in income (for single filers) and $10,000 for married/head of household filers. We essentially have a flat tax in Georgia, one that is woefully inadequate to meet the needs of the state the 21st century. Let’s reform the tax code! See http://www.gbpi.org/documents/20090713.pdf (pages 9 and 10).
bootney farnsworth
February 27th, 2010
4:07 pm
fixing education is structurally very easy, politically next to impossible. in 20+ years working in education, I’ve truly learned
on thing.
as a collective, especially the administrative arm, educators would rather see everyone on Earth starve than to let go even the slightist bit of their particular pet projects
Ole Guy
February 27th, 2010
7:22 pm
Farns, you have just provided an excellent description of American politics at its finest.
ACovington
February 28th, 2010
7:46 pm
I believe that Georgia’s budget cut is more of a problem than a solution. According to Morgan Quitno Press, Georgia ranks #41 in a study of the smartest states and It will only get worse with each frequent budget cut. How do you expect for our upcoming generations to successfully control our country if the government keeps downplaying the importance of education? I cannot comprehend how we, as students and future workers of America are going to be forced to pay more for our education when there will be less services and education provided. What about the students who are already struggling to pay for their schooling? What about those students who have worked their asses of f for academic or sports scholarships only to learn that the scholarships will soon be worth nothing because of the lack of finances? This budget cut is a set-up for failure. It is a lose-lose situation in which citizens of America are being cheated out of their money in order to compensate for economic troubles and a situation in which America get cheated out of a high-quality generation on account of the lessened importance placed on education and the ever-rising cost of it. I believe that whoever is seriously considering raising tuition either has no knowledge or has no interest in what is really important, which is the students. Without the students all higher educational institutions would just be big office spaces. So what would possess one to believe that taxing the individuals that they are benefitting from will create profit. It may create a small increase in its finances but people will then begin ruling out the possibility of attending college after high school or going back to school because of its increasing price tag. Many are beginning to wonder, “Is it really worth it?”
ACovington
February 28th, 2010
7:48 pm
Enter your comments I believe that Georgia’s budget cut is more of a problem than a solution. According to Morgan Quitno Press, Georgia ranks #41 in a study of the smartest states and It will only get worse with each frequent budget cut. How do you expect for our upcoming generations to successfully control our country if the government keeps downplaying the importance of education? I cannot comprehend how we, as students and future workers of America are going to be forced to pay more for our education when there will be less services and education provided. What about the students who are already struggling to pay for their schooling? What about those students who have worked their asses of f for academic or sports scholarships only to learn that the scholarships will soon be worth nothing because of the lack of finances? This budget cut is a set-up for failure. It is a lose-lose situation in which citizens of America are being cheated out of their money in order to compensate for economic troubles and a situation in which America get cheated out of a high-quality generation on account of the lessened importance placed on education and the ever-rising cost of it. I believe that whoever is seriously considering raising tuition either has no knowledge or has no interest in what is really important, which is the students. Without the students all higher educational institutions would just be big office spaces. So what would possess one to believe that taxing the individuals that they are benefitting from will create profit. It may create a small increase in its finances but people will then begin ruling out the possibility of attending college after high school or going back to school because of its increasing price tag. Many are beginning to wonder, “Is it really worth it?”
Jamal
February 28th, 2010
10:20 pm
Sure, tax luxuries(cigarettes, organics and those foods that are often required for those with diet sensitivities)that working folks pay for while our social welfare programs continue to suck us dry. Lot’s of good folks are out of work and deserve a break. Unfortunately, those programs, which are designed to help those who at least attempt to contribute to society are being taken up by those who prefer to sit on rear ends and do nothing but rob the rest of our working society. Taxes aren’t needed, we have plenty of that, look to fix or rid ourselves of the broken programs currently in use.
Olivia Huff
March 1st, 2010
11:24 pm
AJC,
Not only is this budget increase unfair it is a mockery to our educational system in the United States! Starting with this tuition hike our educational system will cease to exist. I say why have education at all if you can now afford to pay for the bills on minimum wage and with our newest free healthcare system paying for our medical needs. The value of education is slowly decreasing. Why cant our educational system be restored to its simpler times of the “Little House on the Prairie” where children would strive for higher education and work hard to achieve it to contribute to the world one day. The educational system is very close to seeing its worst starting with this tuition increase and pay cuts for teachers and professors.
One of the many stress points during a student’s desire for a higher education is how to pay for it. Especially those who were not blessed with scholarships and grants have to pay for tuition out of pocket, much similar to my own experience. I worked full time all summer for my college tuition in the fall. I worked full time in the fall and went to school full time to pay for my spring tuition as well. I am now attending an affordable local college that I have paid for both semesters on a minimum wage income. If tuition is raised 77% my dreams for my future is shot. I will have no future. Students like me will not be able to attend college to further their education and make a career for themselves.
My hats off to those who teach at college. Professors dedicate most of their lives during their education to teach students who deserve a chance. And to have their pay swiped from underneath them is beyond me.
I say no pay cut. I say no tuition hike. I say tax the things in our society that doesn’t really even matter. I say tax the bad. Tax cigarettes, tax alcohol, tax the lottery. Why should the educational system have to suffer? Why shouldn’t we tax everything that is wrong with our society to 1. Make it a better one and 2. Leave the educational system alone or at least back to where it should be! (In the “little house on the Prairie” days!)
Olivia Huff
MARCH 2 ANNOUNCEMENTS « GSU Progressive Student Alliance
March 2nd, 2010
12:08 am
[...] actually pondered not just cuts to staff, faculty, and departments on individual campuses, but tuition increases of up to 77% to cover the budget cap. This is because, as they say, “everything is on the [...]
Christina Dowse
March 2nd, 2010
12:55 am
We should be prioritizing education over things like chancellor salaries, for instance the chancellor makes $572,000 a year http://www.jobnob.com/board-regents-university-system-georgia-salary We can’t sit by and let this happen to us, to our children, to our communities, to our state, to our country. Please join one of the many organizations that are fighting these unnecessary cuts. If the board of regents alone cuts their salaries to more human levels, we could pay for this “crisis.” Across the nation, including in the Georgia colleges of Kennesaw, Tech, UGA, GSU, etc, students and teachers will ban together to stand up against this ridiculous attack on education.
college student-as
March 2nd, 2010
11:26 am
why!! why are you doing this to us. you are pratically taking away everything we’ve worked for with this tuition increase. true enough the stuents that have money will have nothing to worry about because they can still pay for school buit those of us that have college as a last resort to make something out of ourselves!1 so not fare!
g girl
March 2nd, 2010
11:55 am
I think this whole thing is rediculous. It’s offending as a college student that the schools are one of the first things thought of to help our country’s economic problem. We are trying to get the education we need to grow and get the jobs and help our country. It also adds an extreme amount of stress on our lives by adding a 77 percent tuition hike. Some can barely afford it as it is. How are we supposed to continue our education if it is causing more pain to our pockets.
In my opinion, the cigarette tax could be good but could also backfire. It could help raise money for a while but after that while people will probably get tired of paying a tax on top of paying for the carton and stop all together which wouldn’t help the money problem at hand. Either way, our economy is in a crisis and raising the already expensive tuition for college students is, in my opinion, rediculous and very stressful and I pray that it doesn’t happen.
Ms. K
March 2nd, 2010
1:44 pm
Enter your coAs being a student in the UGA system it is very hard to gather all the information discussed in Feb. 25 AJC paper about our school system. I have been attending college for quiet so time and I have enjoyed the help with the proccess of getting. Raising out tution will not only affect me but also affect our environment as a whole, especially in the state of Ga. Many students have looked forward to getting there degree the minute they stepped out of highschool, but raising the tuition will make it difficult for many to even step into the door of any college. If students cant afford to go to school next year that will affect their life tremedously. Its possible that they wont be able to get a job especially the way the economy is at the moment. I think that the government should take iniative that many students and even ther parents are going to be very upset, and agree that the government should find a better solution to raising the money that is due without afeecting our lives. Georgia students are going to fight until justice is made on our behalf because we believe our government has gone to far. I think you should come up with a good strategy to get this money by taxing other things besides our educatuion.mments here
Pamela
March 2nd, 2010
2:56 pm
To Whom It May Concern,
As a college student it hurts to know that when the government goes thru issues with money they begin to attack the college students. They may have once been students as well, and they seem to not care. There are may ways to go by gaining money other then trying to bring down those that are trying to make something out of their lives. There has been so many standards that has brought the students into the schools and to know that now it can be taken all away is traumatizing. Jobs that have been place before the world have very high expectations as to the requirements for seeking that particular job. Now days there is not much that can be done with out a higher education. I am aware that this is just a different stage of life, but something is also being taken away from those that are trying to do something productive and not turn towards the streets. The government has some many ways of obtaining money but yet they are will to go and help other countries before helping themselves. Not only are we in need in the education system but many other areas as well. When will they realize that government founding will not exist for long. What will we do? Is this country ready for what will be in store having so many uneducated people in the society. This may result to more violent crimes in all aspects. It is funny how there is NO money for schools and education, but there is plenty of money to build prisons!
Kaitlyn
March 3rd, 2010
1:50 pm
Being a student in Georgia, this whole thing really makes me mad. My grandmother was decent enough to start a college fund for me, and the Pell Grant takes care of my tuition… I don’t make a decent enough grade to get Hope, but then again, they are raising the requirements to get and keep hope. When my brother started college, to get Hope, all he needed was about a 2.5 GPA. When I graduated HS in 09, to get hope, I needed a 3.0… but i had a 2.6… beginning this fall semester, to get Hope one would need a 3.6 GPA.
since this is only a proposal right now, IF the tuition is raised 77%, it would end up being cheaper to go out of state than being in state.
Really honestly, i believe that the superintendents and boards should get the first cuts and furlough days. My mother is a 5th grade teacher and she is barely able to make ends meet as it is with the furlough days and pay cuts that have been forced upon her. And!! the superintendent of her county is getting a pay raise! Seriously?!?!
I support raising the cigarette tax… maybe raising the alcohol tax, putting a luxury tax on for people who get their nails done, sales tax for certain items other than food and basic household items…
hunting items, fishing items,… yadda yadda yadda… Plus, if people are sucking up all this money working all the time, just have furlough days for everyone… maybe for medical and law enforcement, have half staff certain days…
But all that aside, education may be the easiest thing to take money out of, but education is what needs the money most… and college funds only go so far.
Being a bio major, my funds need to go as far as possible.
C. Amey at Gordon
March 3rd, 2010
9:24 pm
Unfair, it’s just unfair. I feel that they have went to far.Don’t you think that 77% is just a little to much to put on the price of college tuition. Teachers also have one of the lowest paying jobs when they should be making a fortune when they got us fighting for a education. There are a lot of unnecessary things we use that could be taxed in order for the state to keep from raising the taxes on colleges. A college education is very useful to become successful in our society. Life is filled with a lot of stumbling blocks, but if put our heads together we can go around these stumbling blocks. Education is a must to become successful individals in the world we live in to make a difference