Education leaders warn of cost hikes

BOISE – Students may eventually pay more money for their education if lawmakers agree to end the “shell game” over fees versus tuition, two higher education presidents told lawmakers Wednesday.

But a third, Boise State University President Bob Kustra, said allowing the state to charge tuition at BSU, Idaho State University and Lewis-Clark State College won’t mean higher costs for classes, and in fact could negate the need for more money from students’ pockets.

The comments came on prompting from Democrats on the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee. The minority party is considering opposing the State Board of Education’s plan to end a long-standing practice of charging fees for non-instructional costs (like building maintenance and administration) and distinguishing between that and charging tuition, which is illegal.

While the change in state law would affect the three schools, a fourth, the University of Idaho, would remain subject to a constitutional ban on charging tuition.

The school officials who appeared before the budget committee support the board’s plan, even if they aren’t unanimous on its effect.

The move toward tuition is, said ISU President Richard Bowen, “opening the opportunity for more of a shift toward the students long-term. It doesn’t mean its going to happen, but the opportunity is there long-term.”

“To say it would never affect (student costs) is disingenuous,” Lewis-Clark State College President Dene Thomas said.

All three said the move makes sense, equating the current practice of using fees for non-instruction issues as a “shell game.”

“Let’s be up-front and transparent rather than hiding and moving money around,” Thomas told the budget committee, endorsing the education board’s proposal. “I think it’s very hard to talk to students about being up-front about things when we can’t be.”

In the near term, the change will do nothing to the price students pay, Thomas and Bowen said. After that, it’s hard to say.

Said Bowen, “I don’t think it’s true to tell you that there’s no risk at all to the students having to take on more of the load in the shift in fees to tuition.”

Bowen said his school, perhaps more than the other two, is nearing the limit on what fees can be used for.

State Board of Education President Rod Lewis has said the move isn’t intended to raise rates.

“I don’t think it will have any financial impact,” Lewis said Monday. “Whether you call it student fees or tuition, it is the total amount students are contributing to attend higher education that is the issue.”

Kustra said students could even benefit from the change.

“Theoretically, with more flexibility, we shouldn’t be going into the state board with the rather large increases that we’ve been asking for lately,” Kustra said.

Student fees have shot up 165 percent in the last 10 years, more than any other Western state.