2008 Woodie Awards
Staff Editorial: Keeping tuition at its current level keeps Kirkwood a bargain for students
Matthew Moss
Issue date: 2/9/06 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
In this era of reduced emphasis on education by the Iowa legislature, public colleges and universities across the state are alleviating the budget crunch by raising tuition, essentially putting the burden of higher education on students.
Iowa has historically been known for offering affordable, quality education to its young people but in recent years the legislature has trended away from that, choosing to allocate funding elsewhere. This has led, in particular for college students, to skyrocketing tuition that, while still affordable in comparison to other states, leaves its students scrambling to pay well over 50 percent more for education than a decade ago.
One way students in eastern Iowa have been able to beat back the budget crunch is by taking two years of undergraduate classes at Kirkwood. This can save students a tremendous amount of money as they transfer on to one of the three state universities or an area private college.
Consider:
Tuition for a full-time student (with 15 credit hours) at Kirkwood is $1,425. Completing an Associate of Arts degree in four semesters will cost a student roughly $5,780.
The cost of tuition for one year as a liberal arts student at the University of Iowa next year will be $5,706 - and that doesn't include the nearly $1,000 in fees that are mandatory. Students looking at Iowa State or Northern Iowa will pay at least $5,000 per year.
Iowa students rank among the most indebted in the nation after college, with an average bill of $22,405, according to The Des Moines Register.
Kirkwood students should appreciate the economic advantage they have by taking classes here and transferring elsewhere. As tuitions continue to rise, this economic selling point will only continue to become stronger.
Also, students get more bang for their buck at Kirkwood. With smaller class sizes and more one-on-one interaction with instructors than can be found at a large school, students can get the personalized education they need to adjust to and succeed at the collegiate level.
For example, students who need extra attention in mathematics can receive the help they need at Kirkwood through remedial classes such as survey of mathematics - and math and sciences are two areas where U.S. students need added emphasis.
President Bush said in his State of the Union address on Jan. 31 that he wants American students to be competitive in a technologically advanced, global economy. This goal cannot be achieved without increased state funding of colleges and universities.
Making students shoulder the costs of their education costs will only deter them. It will make them hesitate pursuing training appropriate for the 21st century, whether in science, mathematics or liberal arts.
Tuition must be kept low at Kirkwood and across Iowa so our state can be proud of its education system once again.
Iowa has historically been known for offering affordable, quality education to its young people but in recent years the legislature has trended away from that, choosing to allocate funding elsewhere. This has led, in particular for college students, to skyrocketing tuition that, while still affordable in comparison to other states, leaves its students scrambling to pay well over 50 percent more for education than a decade ago.
One way students in eastern Iowa have been able to beat back the budget crunch is by taking two years of undergraduate classes at Kirkwood. This can save students a tremendous amount of money as they transfer on to one of the three state universities or an area private college.
Consider:
Tuition for a full-time student (with 15 credit hours) at Kirkwood is $1,425. Completing an Associate of Arts degree in four semesters will cost a student roughly $5,780.
The cost of tuition for one year as a liberal arts student at the University of Iowa next year will be $5,706 - and that doesn't include the nearly $1,000 in fees that are mandatory. Students looking at Iowa State or Northern Iowa will pay at least $5,000 per year.
Iowa students rank among the most indebted in the nation after college, with an average bill of $22,405, according to The Des Moines Register.
Kirkwood students should appreciate the economic advantage they have by taking classes here and transferring elsewhere. As tuitions continue to rise, this economic selling point will only continue to become stronger.
Also, students get more bang for their buck at Kirkwood. With smaller class sizes and more one-on-one interaction with instructors than can be found at a large school, students can get the personalized education they need to adjust to and succeed at the collegiate level.
For example, students who need extra attention in mathematics can receive the help they need at Kirkwood through remedial classes such as survey of mathematics - and math and sciences are two areas where U.S. students need added emphasis.
President Bush said in his State of the Union address on Jan. 31 that he wants American students to be competitive in a technologically advanced, global economy. This goal cannot be achieved without increased state funding of colleges and universities.
Making students shoulder the costs of their education costs will only deter them. It will make them hesitate pursuing training appropriate for the 21st century, whether in science, mathematics or liberal arts.
Tuition must be kept low at Kirkwood and across Iowa so our state can be proud of its education system once again.