Apathy has long been a problem for college students. They show lack of interest and a general lack of concern. They are often indifferent.

Sadly, this apathy has rolled over into an area where it doesn’t belong. Students have become stolid to tuition hikes.

Last week the Board of Regents voted in the affirmative to a massive increase in tuition. Added with the increased mandatory fees, the total hike equals 22.3 percent, a number even higher than last year’s shocking jump. What was even more shocking, though, was the lack of involvement on the part of students in the three schools affected: Iowa State, the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa.

There was only a handful of students present at the Board of Regents meeting last week, held at Iowa State. For the most part, the only ones who were present were representatives of the student governments. One would think if students cared about the outrageous increases that they would attempt to have their voices heard at the meeting. No one really did.

Not only did students appear to be apathetic, but parents were as well. Countless parents foot the bill for college, yet none of them spoke out against the additional $1300 they would be paying a year, or the extra $2600 for the out-of-state students.

Unfortunately, students and parents alike have good reason to be lethargic when it comes to tuition troubles. This is because no matter how much they lobby, beg or plead, it is unlikely that they will accomplish anything.

Over the last 20 years, the cost that students and parents pay has increased by roughly 50 percent. There are two reasons for this. One of those has to do with the Iowa Legislature cutting some of the funds it gives to higher education. The share the state pays to maintain the quality of education at public schools has dropped by 25 percent.

The second relates to tuition not increasing at appropriate rates before last year. Tuition generally should increase with the rate of inflation. Iowa State remained relatively cheap for so long because this did not happen.

Now the school is making up for it with 20-percent increases.

Tuition increases do appear to be the best alternative to preserve higher education, though. The only other options are creating an enrollment cap or simply letting the quality fall farther than it already has.

No one wants quality to stoop lower than it is right now. Still, it is important for students and parents to speak up when tuition hikes threaten to make incredibly poor students even poorer. It may not do anything in the long run, but it will at least show the regents that students care. Possibly it would keep them from increasing it by more than 20 percent again next year.

There is no reason to be apathetic about money.

Editorial Board:Cavan Reagan, Amber Billings, Ayrel Clark, Charlie Weaver, Rachel Faber Machacha, Zach Calef.