President Obama’s State of the Union address was greeted with mixed feelings from the American public. Amidst the numerous promises he stressed, one of the main talking points was his outlook on education; specifically, his volition to lower tuition fees at universities across the country. He threatened to cut federal financial aid to colleges that did not lower tuition costs. Understandably, his statement has sparked controversy about whether a lowering in tuition costs is a feasible option for colleges.
According to an article published in The Daily Free Press today, Boston University’s administration does not agree that this policy can be implemented. Many understand tuition at such a large institution, such as BU, is pricey to accommodate the vast quantity of services and academic resources on campus. President Robert Brown said if revenue from fees were to decrease, there would be no room to supersede existing programs or facilities with better ones. His primary argument was that if revenue was slashed, money allotted for financial aid would also decrease. BU currently assigns approximately 200 million dollars to undergraduate financial aid.
However, others argue that if tuition costs were lower, less financial aid would have to be distributed to students in general. Officials in the BU community will be pleased with progress made toward designating more money for its students who need financial support, but the unfortunate reality is that running a university in the heart of Boston is expensive. Lowering tuition is a great aspiration to have, and should be one the administration works toward in the future. However, a drop in cost should not reflect in inferior opportunity for students because money is tight.
Brown concluded that he would not ignore Obama’s warning. Should some federal aid packages be severed, a percentage of students would be unfairly denied higher education. The overarching goal of universities should be to educate all who seek a college degree, uninhibited by financial difficulty. Hopefully, collaboration between college administrations and the government can yield a consensus that will benefit all students without alienating families in lower tax brackets.
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