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    Nancy L. Zimpher, the chancellor of the State University of New York has shared her views about higher education costs recently. She suggested a model that can address President Obama’s call for higher education affordability.

    Higher education costs are on the rise. Recently, public four year colleges in the U.S have increased their tuition by 7%. Universities face stern cuts in state funding. The university systems find it difficult to keep tuition under control. More than half of the students graduating at public colleges complete their course with $22,000 student loan debt.

    Last fall, public colleges and universities in California increased tuition by 21%. One in every 10 four year public college students enrolls in any of these colleges and universities. Arizona and Washington increased tuition by 17% and 16% respectively. Pennsylvania has prompted the talk of privatizing public universities this year.

    “Crisis in higher education affects students in almost all states in America, except New York”, said Nancy L. Zimpher. She said that they have resolved their revenue problems and kept tuition under control by implementing a five year ration tuition policy. Governor Andrew Cuomo ensured to protect us from state budget cuts.

    The students of State University of New York will also see increasing tuition. However, we do not
increase tuition sharply without giving notice to students. There will be no surprise for students in New York. We allow our students to know how much tuition will go up every year for the duration of time they spend on campus. We told them clearly even before they file an application. We aim to maintain access for the neediest students in New York. We dedicate 1/4th of new revenue we receive from state aid to those students. 40% of our students graduate without any loan debt.

    Any public institution can try this policy. Nancy suggest that other states should follow their model, as it is the best practical example of a responsible policy that addresses President Barack Obama’s call for keeping public higher education affordable.

    Nancy stressed that budget crisis in higher education must be solved using more than standard solutions of tuition hikes and state funding. Our country’s economic situation demands us to come up with innovative ways to manage our public higher education institutions.

    64 campuses come under the umbrellas of State University of New York. It is the largest comprehensive higher education system in the country. So it is possible for us to identify opportunities to reduce costs and increase efficiency. Such savings can be redirected to enhancing services that can offer many benefits to students. For instance, consolidating information technology or human resource services can help save significant amount. Those funds can be used by the university to hire more fulltime faculty or to offer more courses. Regional centers can process administration and pay roll centrally instead of duplicating these services at one or more campuses.

    This requires a comprehensive approach. Commitment from state officials is needed to maintain public investment in public higher education. It is crucial to identify and remove wasteful practices.