Last week, officials from UB traveled to Albany to lobby for academic independence from the SUNY bureaucracy. Currently, all graduate non-professional programs across the state must charge the same tuition, regardless of what the specific program offers and how highly the degree is valued. UB representatives, led by President William Greiner, proposed a system in which each school could decide its tuitions.
This is a proposal that could benefit the students and the university in the long run; however, as a public institution, UB must be mindful of the obligation to remain balanced between independence and a commitment to the public.
While much of a graduate education is already subsidized, the provided education must not be out of the grasp of students in lower income brackets. UB officials have said that if this plan were to go into effect, financial aid would increase proportionately. If progress comes at the cost of opportunity, it is a mistake.
Professional schools are already allowed to raise tuition at their discretion. The issue at hand relates to Master of Business Administration and Master of Public Health degrees. UB officials said the programs are becoming more costly, yet are forced to collect the same amount of funding as every other program across the state.
The schools should be allowed to charge more, but only if the financial data deems it necessary in order to provide the best education possible. If UB can tangibly raise the quality of education, it will be worth it for the students who are involved.
It is always in the best interest of a school to raise the quality of education. Often times, that job is related to the quality of the degree. If a school is held in high regard, and has results to back up the prestige, it will greatly benefit students. Extra dollars in tuition can sometimes be repaid with the increase in quality.
While students are often wary about placing their money into cloudy places, the increase for a specific graduate program seems very focused and able to provide a direct return. If an education similar to a private education can be offered at a cheaper price by UB, it will greatly benefit the school.
The deeper issue involved in the proposal deals with scaling down state regulations and bureaucracy in relation to UB. The state has to answer to public constituents and the deregulation will increase competitive balance while assisting the students through the state in ways that can foster more growth and expansion.
The school deserves the chance to raise tuition prices for the graduate programs, yet each program must be judged on a case-by-case basis; this is not a free pass to raise prices excessively. A balance must be worked out in a way that will benefit students and the school.
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
