Is the tuition increase necessary? This is the question that many have struggled to answer ever since the proposed tuition increase forum, which was held in the student event center over a week ago. Tuition increase is a necessary course of action in order for Salt Lake Community College to continue giving students the low cost quality education they have received thus far, while still keeping a balanced budget. Even with tuition increasing, SLCC will still remain the cheapest institution of higher education in the state and students will still benefit by taking courses here.
It would be a welcome change if our tuition could stay the same year after year or even decrease, but that is unrealistic. The state legislature saw a need to cut funding given to SLCC which in turn means SLCC needs to increase funding from tuition. A very logical question is then, how will the money be spent if we increase tuition? Realistically, you see the money from tuition dollars spread throughout different areas across the campuses. Austin Chappell who is studying communication at SLCC would like to see the money being used to pay for qualified teachers rather than projectors in the classrooms.
Students have more to gain from spending money on teachers who are talented at engaging their class while at the same time getting them to learn instead of spending it on the latest technology in the classrooms.
Not only has SLCC expanded the number of students that attend school here but they expanded the number of faculty and courses they offer to support the student growth. All of this expansion costs money, but students reap the benefits. During the forum there was some concern about not having the courses offered when students need them to be offered or where they need them to be offered. By increasing tuition dollars, SLCC can add more courses at convenient times for students. Sure, in this economy every dollar counts but we could all do a little bit better at saving our pennies when it comes down to it. You may be surprised at how quickly it adds up and you won’t even miss the extra 65-95 dollar increase depending on what the percentage of the second tier increase is. One wise student during the forum said that we should keep our tuition increase as low as possible since we know that it will not go down. This statement makes a lot of sense.
In reference to closing the Sandy Campus, we have more to gain by closing it and saving the money than keeping it open for courses to remain half full. The students who are currently going there will still be able to find their courses at the neighboring Miller Campus which is located four miles away. The current students at Sandy Campus will have to readjust but they as well as others will find it beneficial when they won’t have to pay an even larger amount for tuition.
Nobody wants to spend more on tuition, but seeing the current state of our budget and realizing that we have responsible leaders concerned with not going in to debt, it is a welcome change. It is especially appreciated that they are looking at other alternatives, such as closing down under used campuses, to save money. Increasing tuition just happens to be the next best option.