The Cost of USTAR - Tuition Hikes for Other University Needs

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) While state lawmakers pumped millions into the Governor's pet project for science and technology research, also known as USTAR, Utah's college students are left holding the tab for campus utility bills and faculty salaries. Commissioner of Higher Education Rich Kendell says some university funding needs got lost in the push for USTAR:

"We tried to keep the higher education budget separate from USTAR," says Kendell. "I think in the minds of some legislators, they said 'Well we're doing X amount of money for higher education but we're also infusing money into the two research universities. It's all higher education from our standpoint.'"

This fall, university students statewide will see tuition increases as high as nine percent. Meanwhile, the legislature has appropriated more than 100-million dollars for new research labs and scientist recruitment. Governor Jon Huntsman Junior says students taking extra jobs to pay tuition should realize that USTAR promises them better jobs after graduation.

"So if they're carrying loans, they'll be able to pay them off faster," says Huntsman. "They have the opportunities to live here if they choose, as opposed to going somewhere else."

Huntsman says Utah's higher education programs are still a bargain compared to other states, but access and affordability is a concern. He plans to push for more funding of dual enrollment so high school students can take college courses cheaply and have less schooling to complete when they begin paying tuition.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom and Legislative Coverage. Copyright 2009 KCPW