UTEP - Voting with their Feet, Part II
September 8, 2005
Universities are increasing fees and tuition forcing students to look elsewhere for higher education options.
Written by Senator Shapleigh, www.shapleigh.org
Student Service fee increased from $37.50 to $162.
"UTEP’s administration also failed to secure a resolution from the students demonstrating student support for the fee increases as requested by the Chair of the Higher Education Committee, Senator Royce West," Senator Shapleigh continued.
With these concerns in mind, Senator Shapleigh sponsored versions of the bills that only increased the fees from $12 to $40 for the Recreation Fee and $30 to $50 for the Student Union and required student approval before any increase could take effect.
"After Session, on June 21, 2005, we wrote and asked the Student Government Association for input on what the students wanted. After all, UTEP is about a quality undergraduate education for students, not the ambitions of a few administrators.”
While the fee increases failed to pass before the completion of the 79th Regular Session, the increasing cost of an education at UTEP will eventually force student to "choose with their feet." While student enrollment has slowly rebounded at UTEP, as the chart below shows, recent tuition and fee increases will force more students to schools like El Paso Community College.
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UTEP must continue to provide access to a quality and affordable higher education for the El Paso community. UTEP's high tuition is placing El Paso in a position to lose it's best and brightest as they will choose to either attend college elsewhere, or worse, fail to obtain a higher education at all. Let's remember that El Paso students have the first choice and ensure that a college education in El Paso is affordable and achievable.