ouch

Before I get around to putting up my next post that was planned, I got an email today - along with all other kids at Georgia Tech - and I'm sure it's not unlike other institutions as well. Here's some choice excerpts from the email (and I promise nothing is being taken out of context).

These additional cuts bring the total reduction for Georgia Tech over the three most recent fiscal years — FY09, ‘10, and ‘11 — to $67.2 million, or 23.8 percent of our FY09 base. In addition, it is important to note that the federal stimulus funds we received to date are not expected to be available in FY12 or the following fiscal years.

In a separate but related action yesterday, the BOR also approved a $500 per semester increase in tuition for both resident and nonresident students at Georgia Tech, excluding those students on the Guaranteed Tuition Plan. For in-state students who qualify, this increase will be covered under the HOPE Scholarship program. This tuition increase will move us closer to the market value as determined by comparison with our peer institutions and will provide some limited flexibility in budgeting for Institute programs.

Seeing that first part just hurts - nearly a quarter reduction... add to that an additional increase in tuition... we've already been tacked with an extra fee on top of tuition (which actually got around the HOPE scholarship thing), but now it's getting officially added to tuition huh? At first they mess with me by adding a fee - not covered by HOPE scholarship. Now that I'm just getting into graduate school, they add to the tuition - of which I no longer have HOPE to cover. !!!

I certainly can't say that I'd have a better solution, but what does irk me just a little is the rationale statement. This tuition increase will move us closer to the market value as determined by comparison with our peer institutions. What's wrong with being cheap AND good? Either say: we're just as good as the other universities, but we cost less! Or... don't say anything at all. I'll accept the second part: [this] will provide some limited flexibility in budgeting for Institute programs. But us students are good at detecting BS. We write it all the time. And worse yet, this one deals with our money.

Anyway, I'm sure many of you are in the same situations with your respective universities, so all this is probably a moot point. Back to getting that original post done.