I think it is abhorrent for the ISU President and some Iowa Regents to think it is necessary to raise tuition and fees at this time.

Deloitte is finding savings, we have low inflation, low interest rates and the campus is undergoing massive construction. It is irresponsible to think students should shoulder such a burden.

President Leath previously outlined and approved appropriations for $32.4 million in new revenue, which will be supplemented with $25 million in reallocated dollars. Only $10 million will go to keeping college affordable, while $8 million will go to improving the student experience. $4.7 million will go toward buildings, $1.6 million will go to improve campus environment, $.4 million to inflation, contracts, and compliance, and the remainder will go to other more appropriate spending.

I understand the importance of quality professors, pay, reasonable student-to-teacher ratio and good facilities. As a chemical engineer we were one of the areas that needed more faculty. What I don’t agree with is an increase in tuition to pay for things like $8 million in student experience.  I also don’t agree with a construction craze that should have been stretched out over a longer period of time, if the University couldn’t afford it without negatively impacting students by increasing the revenue it receives.

All students also should not subsidize new construction of dorms through a tuition increase. Students are already being squeezed by rising rents around Ames. Anything under $500 per month per person is out of the question, the Foundry will be $860 per month per person. They also can’t handle the high costs at the bookstore and other University affiliated stores, not to mention the high standard of living Ames has.

I know it will ultimately be up to the State Legislature to approve Regent requests for a tuition freeze, but if our own president is advocating a tuition rise as a result of the mismanagement of existing revenue sources as I have listed above, what hope do we have in continuing the tuition freeze?