Iowa’s universities are being taken for a ride this year, but it isn’t like anything you’ll find at Adventureland. As tuition rates rise, the quality of education at Iowa’s three regent universities is going down, taking our pocketbooks on a rollercoaster ride to turn the strongest stomachs. Next Wednesday, the Iowa Board of Regents will consider a 9.9 percent tuition increase. This more than doubles the past increases and comes at a time when finances are already tight for many in Iowa. Iowa’s education leaders are as confused as a 5-year-old in the Silly Silo. Brain drain has become a catch phrase on college campuses, but legislators aren’t backing up their public worries about Iowa’s future leaders. Aspiring students are blocked by a new form of in-state brain drain: high tuition. Inflation and new projects require a little more every year, but asking for a 9.9 percent increase in one year is as ridiculous as paying $5.00 to win a keychain at the carnival. The prizes students get are not equal to what they will pay. Teacher-to-student ratios will still be too high, lectures will be overbooked, and programs will be cut. These problems will not be taken care of now, but students will pay for them long after they’ve left with their degree in hand. While administrators, legislators and regent members may maintain that Iowa’s public tuition rates are a bargain compared to other state’s public universities, they need to remember the cost of living in Iowa is also a good deal. Iowa is an inexpensive place to call home, and it’s public education should reflect that fact. While Iowa does offer quality public education to its residents, its education leaders need to keep one thing in mind – higher education is a lot like an amusement park. Iowans can have just as much fun at Valleyfair in Minnesota or Six Flags in Illinois for the same admission price as Adventureland. Editorial Board: Carrie Tett, Greg Jerrett, Katie Goldsmith, Amie Van Overmeer and Andrea Hauser