It seems like it was just yesterday. Students and faculty were furious over the proposed 45 percent state budget cut and felt like no matter what they were doing to stop it, it wasn’t enough. And then when it passed, the defeated feeling sunk in like the Titanic. Students were almost in a panic over how they were going to afford college tuition next year, and for good reason. With 90 percent of just the in-state students requesting financial aid, it wasn’t a matter of finding the need–it was about finding the heart to help those students.
And the heart has begun to beat again. New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan has a proposal for N.H. legislation that could possibly freeze tuition costs for the next two years. This means that with this proposal, 90 percent of the state appropriation for public colleges in New Hampshire will be restored. This could put us back on track! Not to mention make up for the rough payments students struggled to make this school year.
Beth Therriault / Contributing Photo
KSC students protested at the State House in Concord, NH, on April 17, 2011, against the proposed state funding budget cuts.
A big congratulations to Gov. Hassan; she did her part, and now it’s our turn. See those students in the pictures over there? Those students wanted to do everything they could to stop the budget cuts. Don’t they look motivated and informed? This is what we need. We need students to be fired up about this great opportunity we have to get our tuition back on track. The Equinox is encouraging students to call, e-mail, or in someway contact our state representatives and let them know why this proposal is a good thing for Keene State College. Tell your friends, share the article in the news section, talk to faculty, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
If you’re wondering why this is important, it’s because our legislature needs to understand that our enrollment for this new freshmen class was lower than the previous year and it could directly relate to the large cost increase in tuition. We don’t want to keep losing students who want to learn but simply can’t afford the high price of a college education. Higher education may require a cost, but not one that is always increasing and without aid. The economy is on the mend, we’re not in a depression, so paying for college shouldn’t feel like it’s slowly becoming something only the wealthier kids can afford.
KSC is a public, liberal arts, state school. Our school may not have the same sound of an Ivy League, but our education is just as valuable, and our team of educators just as knowledgeable. If we are more open about our tuition opinions, then maybe our legislators will agree with us.