“Reductions in state spending account for about 41% of increased tuition revenue since the Great Recession”- Bipartisan Policy Center, 12-15-24
College tuition costs go up annually, in large part because states like ours are neglecting their responsibilities to make tuition to state schools more affordable. The tuition this school year for in-state students at the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech was more than $10,000. And that does not include room, board and so on. Some private universities were even more. For example, Emory University’s tuition is more than $63,000 this school year.
Many decades ago, I was accepted to Emory. But even then, I could not afford it. I went to the University of Georgia, Georgia College and Georgia State University for my degrees. So, I appreciate Georgia’s formerly affordable public higher education system and what it has done for me. And I am currently on the GSU Andrew Young School Alumni Council.
Other than my freshman year, I worked my way through college at night, supporting my wife and three kids along the way. But that was in the good ol’ days. I doubt that I could have done that today with these tuition rates.
Credit: Courtesy Photo
Credit: Courtesy Photo
Granted, there are numerous scholarship opportunities for Georgia residents, more than most other states. Still, that is a lot of money. And, once again, the $10,132 does not include room, board, books, supplies, as well as various college fees. That problem can be diminished by utilizing some of the state surplus, which would be widely supported by voters, as outlined below. And there is a precedent.
Most of my life, I have lived in the South. But, as a corporate executive, I lived a lot of places — including California. Back in the ‘70s, in-state tuition there was free. Now, according to a Los Angeles Times opinion column, there is a push to once again waive in-state college tuition.
Per a recent survey, about two-thirds of Californians agree that in-state college tuition should be free. That includes 56% of white residents surveyed who, historically, are less supportive of such initiatives. Support was even higher for those polled who were at lower income levels.
Approval of government funding of skilled job training programs was even higher. Democrats favored it overwhelmingly (90%) and even GOP voters (59%) wanted increased funding.
In 2018, the Georgia Planning and Budget Institute did a similar survey of 625 Georgia residents. Over two-thirds of Georgians surveyed (72%) supported increased higher education funding in general. A startling 82% supported state funding for more “need-based financial aid” for college students. “Tuition free postsecondary technical training” was supported by 75% of those polled.
There has not been a more recent survey of Georgia residents. But I would be willing to bet that current findings would be similar. Even the conservatives who I know believe that school tuition should not be an obstacle to getting a better education, preparing you for a more productive life.
Gov. Brian Kemp has stated repeatedly that “Georgia leads the nation as the best state for business.” He is also very proud that we have a record-breaking $16.5 billion surplus.
As a former Georgia Planning and Budget analyst and local elected official, I believe that government is inherently inefficient. Therefore, I agree with Kemp’s desire to make our state agencies as effective as possible and practice fiscal restraint. And we are spending proportionally more than many other states on higher education.
However, it is a fact that nationally “changes in state funding are a significant factor in explaining rising costs” for college tuition. And we are still only spending 18% of our state education budget on higher education, a clear driver of Georgia’s fabled economic growth.
In conclusion, Kemp has not attempted to use our $16.5 billion surplus to lower or eliminate college tuition, particularly for lower-income students, or to expand technical skill training and lower the cost for those who desire to acquire these skills versus going to college. It is up to us as taxpayers to let him know that Georgia should lead the way nationally in making technical skills training and college much more affordable, if not free.
Jack Bernard, a retired business executive and former chair of the Jasper County Commission and Republican Party, was the first director of health planning for Georgia.
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