Bill would lock in tuition rates for some

By Scott D'Amico and Amanda Bittle, Staff Writers

A bill making its way through the Oklahoma Legislature could lock in college tuition rates for college freshmen as early as 2008.

House Bill 2103 would allow in-state freshmen to avoid increased tuition rates during their four-year college careers.

The bill passed out of the House of Representatives on March 13 and is set to face deliberation by the Oklahoma Senate.

One of the authors believes her bill would prompt students to graduate on time.

“It’s an incentive to get in and out of college in four years,” said Rep. Lee Denney (R-Cushing). “We want to have more college degree-earning students.”

Tuition rates recently have been increasing at a faster rate than that of inflation, according to the Washington Post.

In 2006, tuition and fees at four-year public colleges rose, on the national average, 6.3 percent.
Tuition and fees rose 5.9 percent at private four-year colleges and 4.1 percent at two-year public colleges.

The national inflation rate for the same period was 3.82 percent, according to the Washington Post.

One exception to the rate freeze would occur if the Oklahoma Legislature failed to increase higher education funding by 5 percent in a given year.

According to a press release, 5 percent is typical of the funding increase given each year to the State Regents for Higher Education from the House of Representatives.

Denney said the last time a 5 percent increase wasn’t authorized was in 2001.

House Speaker Lance Cargill (R-Harrah) authored the bill with Denney.

Cargill said,in a press release, the bill was designed with the intention of making college accessible to as many students as possible.

“Parents and students need to know how much money they should expect to save for an education,” Cargill said.

“Many parents save throughout their child’s elementary and high school years only to realize upon graduation that they’ve missed the mark.”

Denney said she was one of those parents who saved money in advance for her children’s education.

Even she became discouraged once her son was enrolled in college and tuition prices kept increasing.

OCCC premed student Lindsay Roland said she would appreciate any decrease in the amount of loan money she has to take out to complete her education.

However, she said, it’s not tuition increases that affect her ability to pursue her degree.

“What I ask myself every semester is, ‘How many days a week can I afford not to be at work?’” Roland said. “The answer to that question deals more directly with whether or not I can complete my degree.”

If passed, HB 2103 would take effect Nov. 1, 2007 and apply to students entering the 2008-2009 school year as a freshman, according to the bill.

However, Denney said, students already attending an Oklahoma college would be locked out of benefiting from the lock in.

Psychology major Philip Aken said he would be interested in locking in tuition rates if he were entering college as a freshman next fall.

“It sounds like a good plan,” he said.

“Although, I would want to know the consequences (for the state budget).”

Film and video major Matt Fowler said he’s taking the bill at face value. “Sounds like a good idea to me, but what happens if there isn’t adequate funding?” Fowler said. “Is that a loophole where they can hold a carrot in front of students, only to pull it away?”

Staff Writer Scott D’Amico can be reached at onlineeditor@occc.edu. Staff Writer Amanda Bittle can be reached at SeniorWriter@occc.edu.