Tuition Freeze

An article by Mike Ward entitled “Perry endorses four-year tuition freeze” has divided the Texas community in half.  This freeze is not an actual freeze and is not intended for everyone.  The freeze is more like a rate guarantee, and is intended for freshmen.  The freeze will hold the tuition rate for freshman to about the same cost for four years. www.statesman.com

It seems that this idea has been floating around the legislators for quite some time.  “Senate Higher Education Committee Chairman, Judith Zaffirini and D-Laredo who was in the audience for Perry’s comments said, “A four-year freeze was discussed in 2009 but was not enacted into law” (Warner). The Senator went on to say, “One of the positive aspects of it is that it could be an incentive for students to finish their degree in four years.”

Along with this article there is a comment section which was very versatile in its comments.  Some people were for Perry's endorsement and some people were against it.  There was one comment from a person who signed AW that caught my eye.  AW graduated from UT in 2007 with a degree in Biology.  AW said, “Simply getting through in 3 isn’t the goal; GPA preservation is the key.” AW went on to say that it was hard to understand how Texans could allow state and local government to undercut education.  AW stated,”UT’s continuing decline in state support, coupled with this tuition freeze, is the epitome of burning the candle art both ends.”  AW went on to give support to President Powers’ efforts to make UT a university on par with the UC Berkley’s and UCLA’s of the world.

This is a very complex topic.  The freeze is a valid effort on Perry’s part.  It is ludicrous for a young person to enter the workforce baring the cross of dept for education.  On the other side of the token, it is self-destructive to force high education to turnout mediocre professionals.  I feel that the state’s legislators have a lot to consider in regards to this topic.  Hopefully they will find a solution.