Why not take university budget off the table?

In these difficult economic times, legislators heading to Augusta to tackle a $240 million budget shortfall must consider the hidden costs of reducing funding to the state’s public university system.

Educational attainment relates directly to the state’s economic health. College graduates earn two to four times more than high school graduates, and are only half as likely to be unemployed. Higher incomes and consistent employment have a positive impact on Maine’s budget, increasing state tax revenues and preserving unemployment insurance funds.

An educated work force will also attract new employers to Maine. According to Chris Hall, vice president of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, the need for educated and skilled employees is “a constant pressure in the business community.” We need college graduates to expand our economic base.

There are important social benefits derived from an educated population as well. Studies show that college graduates are more likely to participate in community government and local politics, and they vote on a regular basis.

A study by the university showed that reductions in the university system budget in the 1990s resulted in fewer graduates four years later. The mandate to educate our young adults is clear. Yet, the university has struggled through six years of budget cuts in the last decade – cuts that forced administrators to defer facility maintenance, reduce staff and raise tuition.

Bond issues are used now to fill gaps in state funding and cover the cost of renovations and retooling at the university. But paying interest to finance maintenance of university facilities may not be an efficient use of tax dollars. Unfortunately, when legislative appropriations fall short year after year, bond money becomes essential to preserving campus infrastructure. We must provide more direct financing to the university system to prevent decay and protect the state’s previous investments.

Downsizing and early retirement offers have devastated some university programs and left many departments chronically understaffed. When budgets are tight, personnel cuts have been implemented as a long-term savings solution. But university president Peter Hoff has been working to increase enrollment at the university’s flagship campus. This fall, the University of Maine welcomes the largest freshman class ever. Layoffs now will surely affect the quality of their education

and the level of service provided

by the university.

Rising tuition is perhaps the most alarming consequence of trimming state appropriations to higher education. Budget shortfalls and reductions have forced the university’s board of trustees to increase tuition at the University of Maine by more than 79 percent since 1990. The cost keeps many Mainers from going to college, and others from finishing. According to “Measuring Up 2000,” a report by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, 92 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds in Maine graduated from high school or received a GED in 2000, but only 35 percent went on to college. That may be because attending a four-year public college in Maine now takes 30 percent of the median family income, a fact that has earned Maine an “F” for affordability of higher education.

Maine is not the only state where college costs are being shifted to the students during hard economic times. The Chronicle of Higher Education notes that nationally in the last 20 years, the greatest tuition increases have come in times of recession, when families are least able to find extra cash or additional financing. Nationwide, more than 41 states are currently facing budget deficits that could affect their public universities. In Maine where the economy has grown slowly and more longtime businesses are closing their doors every day, we must work harder to guarantee affordable college access to our residents.

The financing of higher education by the student has other, less obvious effects. Those who attend the university are forced to borrow more money to cover their college expenses. “Measuring Up 2000” calculates the average annual loan amount for Maine’s public university students at $3,617. This increasing fiscal burden forces students to choose more lucrative employment fields over equally important, but less highly compensated careers, such as teaching.

It is not surprising that 77 percent of Americans believe that attending college is more important today than it was 10 years ago. Still, 70 percent of parents with high school students worry they won’t be able to pay for college, believing that public education is now priced beyond the income of the average family.

In Maine, legislative appropriations for the university system have shrunk from 10 percent of state revenues in 1990 to less than 7 percent today.

Let’s renew our commitment to higher education and work to provide affordable educational opportunities to all Maine residents. Take the university budget off the table in Augusta. This is one investment we must make now.

Joan Perkins, of Veazie, is a senior journalism student at the University

of Maine.