Miami University’s board of trustees unanimously approved a new tuition plan last week, but the Ohio Board of Regents have kept silent about what they think of the new model.
Jamie Abel, the board’s spokesman, said the chancellor of the board released an overview of the plan on April 10, although they are reluctant to offer an opinion.
“At this point, we’re still looking into the impact of it,” Abel said. “It is certainly a deviation from what has been used in the past, and it will be a challenge to help residents understand all of the details involved.”
In an attempt to increase diversity and remain competitive with private institutions, Miami will raise tuition for both in-state and out-of-state students and offset the increase by providing scholarships to Ohio residents. Those from middle and lower family incomes will receive larger scholarship awards.
With more than half of the student body coming from families with incomes more than $100,000 annually, the new plan aims to attract students from the middle-income bracket and discourage them from applying to private institutions. Miami’s tuition is among the highest for public schools in Ohio and has the most selective admission requirements.
“Our goal is to replace student loans with cash scholarships for outstanding middle-income Ohio students who now struggle to afford a Miami education,” said Miami President James C. Garland in a news release.
Although the regents do not have much of an opinion to offer about the plan, one senator had plenty to say.
Almost immediately after the plan was approved, Sen. Jeff Jacobson, R-Butler Twp., proposed new legislation to cap the amount that a public university can raise in-state tuition. Jacobson is opposed to the new tuition structure, which sets a retail price of $13,103 for Ohio students beginning fall 2004.
During a news conference, Jacobson said the change in tuition structure “threatens the principle of affordability that lies at the heart of our conception of a public university.”
Martha Garland, vice provost and dean for undergraduate studies at Ohio State, said, “It (the plan) recognizes the shortfall between what it costs them (Miami) to educate students and what the state is providing. Everyone involved in higher education knows we’ve been strapped for money for a long time. It’s becoming more clear that it’s a problem.”
In terms of admissions and increasing diversity, OSU does not have the same interests as Miami.
“Ohio State is already doing the parts to resolve economic diversity and merit scholarship programs without charging a large amount of money,” Garland said. “One of the advantages we have concerning diversity is that the campus is located in an urban atmosphere, whereas Miami is located in a rural area, which is bound to draw more homogeneity.”
Frank W. Hale, Jr., vice provost emeritus of Minority Affairs, said aside from just lowering tuition, interest has to be shown to attract minorities.
“I think you have to be serious about recruitment,” Hale said. “If you don’t make an effort to get minorities, they aren’t just going to come to you. There are too many other competitors out there.”
Hale said in terms of minority scholarship programs, a special effort has to be made to single out those extraordinary students, such as working with high school counselors and creating programs early on, utilizing the same recruitment techniques used by athletic programs.
“In athletic recruitment, they go out and visit the families,” Hale said. “You’ve got to knock on people’s doors.”
