Editorial: A wakeup call at Metro State - The Denver Post
Editorial: A wakeup call at Metro State - The Denver Post The mood at the Metro State board of trustees meeting last week was somber as members approved tuition and fee increases that will be 18.1 percent higher than what students paid this year. That is a whopping increase for a student body that is, in many cases, on the edge of being able to afford higher education to begin with. Board members said they had no choice, and we don't criticize them for seeking additional revenue given the large state funding cuts the school has suffered at the same time enrollment has been increasing. However, this move should be a wakeup call for Coloradans, especially when considered alongside the 20 percent tuition increase approved at Colorado State University and the 15 percent tuition hike being contemplated at the University of Northern Colorado. Public higher education in this state is at risk of becoming unaffordable for many young people, particularly those from middle-class families. While the poorest students will qualify for financial aid, and those who come from wealthy families will be able to pay the bill, those in the middle are being squeezed the hardest. Stephen Jordan, Metro State's president, tells us he is most worried about students who just barely fail to qualify for Pell Grants, the largest federal aid program.
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