A Night with the UMB USGA

Wednesday night, I had the opportunity to meet with about 40 student leaders of the USGA at the University of Maryland, Baltimore to discuss happenings in Annapolis and throughout the USM.  The vast majority were graduate students, a change-up of sorts for me because by nature of enrollments, most students that I interact with are undergraduates.

We spoke about the realities of funding of graduate schools and that from the state's perspective, is often a secondary priority.  The Governor has emboldened his support for a tuition freeze this week for in-state, undergraduate students.  Many graduate students have argued that such a policy sets up graduate students to pay for undergraduate tuition freezes.  I explained that the USM has made it a strong policy that only through full-funding of the operating budget with the USM agree to a tuition freeze.  In other words, the Board of Regents will only approve a tuition freeze if all other costs are covered.

Other issues were raised during the meeting, such as the varying increases in tuition for in-state and out-of-state students.  For instance, in the law school at UMB, out-of-state fees raised 4.3% last year, while in-state tuition increased 7.4%.  The intention of such a move is to attract the best and brightest out-of-state students to UMB Law to drive up the prestige.  I look forward to continued conversations regarding tuition policies for graduate students.

Without a doubt, graduate students are a vital component of the Maryland workforce.  The question we analyze is what is most efficient and fair use of dollars appropriated to higher education, between undergraduate and graduate students.

Ice storm a sign of things to come??

I couldn't help but draw the connection this morning between this unusually heavy ice storm and the Governor's proposed tuition freeze.  Most of us were "frozen" out of our cars, buildings, and sidewalks.  Check out this picture of Annapolis frozen over (from The Sun).

The Governor continues to make it clear that he wants to hold the line on the tuition freeze.  Last night, he sent a note to supporters reiterating his intentions:

January 27, 2009

A Message from Governor O'Malley

Dear Friends,
Recently, we gathered to release the FY 2010 budget for the State of Maryland. The proposed budget closes a projected $2 billion shortfall due to the national recession and at the same time protects the progress we have made in improving public education, workforce investments and making college more affordable.
We are committed to ensuring that college is both affordable and accessible for anyone who is willing to work hard for a better future, which is why we are providing a fourth straight year of zero percent increase for in-state college tuition, expanding opportunities for higher education so our children will not have their college dreams deferred. This means that students entering Maryland's University System four years ago will graduate this year without their tuition ever having gone up.
Our investments in higher education are evidenced by the selection of four Maryland campuses among the nation's top 50 "Best value" public colleges by the Princeton Review: Towson University, Salisbury University, St. Mary's College of Maryland and the University of Maryland Baltimore County.
In our efforts to protect our higher education progress, we are proposing:

• To include $16.9 million in the FY2010 budget to continue the tuition freeze; and
• To continue the "tuition freeze" for in-state undergraduates at Maryland's public 4-year higher education institutions for a fourth consecutive year.

As a result of the commitment we have made together to higher education, the University System of Maryland (USM) will have gone from having the sixth highest tuition in the nation in 2004 to having the 18^th, according to an analysis of national public university tuition data. Working together, we can continue to ensure that tomorrow's workforce will benefit from the investments we are making today.
Martin O'Malley
Governor

If nothing else, I guess last night's freezing storm is simply a warning sign to those who are thinking about standing in the way...

Higher Ed's Corner of the State Budget

In the fall of 2007, many of us spent time lobbying state legislators and policymakers to establish the first ever dedicated funding source for higher education in the United States.  You may recall emails from the administration or SGA volunteers asking you to contact your legislators to lobby for increased funding for higher education.  And, a number of student leaders participated in a Higher Education Rally in Annapolis during the heart of the 2007 Special Session.  The vehicle for this funding was the Higher Education Investment Fund, or HEIF.

Specifically, the HEIF is funded through a half-percent increase in the corporate income tax.  It is estimated that the state could recieve upwards of $66.5 million this coming year from the fund, according to the 2009 Dept. of Legislative Services Fiscal Briefing.  Originally intended to "supplement" and not "supplant" current funding in higher education, it's unclear whether on not the fund actually brings more money to higher education.  Possibly the fund is more symbolic than anything else, suring up a mandate for higher education, albeit a small fraction of the state's usual support for higher education.

The original passage of HEIF had a sunset clause included for 2009, as an emergency valve if slots did not pass in November 2008.  Slots passed, and so the Governor has proposed to reauthorize the dedicated funding source.  It seems like the bill will pass the legislature.

The real question, though, is whether the HEIF will return to "supplemental" status, as opposed to "supplanting" status, if/when fiscal times looks better.

Need-based Financial Aid...with a twist

A research institute out of New York, MDRC, recently conducted research  through its "Open Doors" grant program.  Unlike other need-based college access programs, "Open Doors" includes a performance-based component, requiring students to obtain a "C" average in courses and be enrolled at least part-time.  The study found that these Louisiana community college students stayed in school longer, achieved more credits, and earned higher GPAs.


While this specific program is designed for community college students, the concept could be transferred to higher education.  While some merit-based scholarship programs may consider need, why not include some performance standards for need-based financial aid?

Textbooks: Progress for some, others lagging

Textbook affordability has been a "hot-button" issue in the University System of Maryland, resulting from pending legislation in Annapolis and a Summit held by the USM Board of Regents.  Suffice it to say, faculty, bookstores, and publishers have been questioned and pressured to make the best textbook selections by considering the cost of books in the process.

One of the most basic, but significant changes, is the publication of the universal book identifier, ISBN number.  The ISBN allows students to identify the specific textbook through outside providers in order to shop competitively outside the university bookstore.  At the beginning of the Spring 2009 semester, where do USM institutions stand?

• University of Maryland, College Park, UMBC, and Towson all publish ISBN numbers on their public, bookstore webpages.
• At UMB and UB, the bookstore provides a detailed description, including title, edition, publisher, and author, on their webpage.  Of note, these two institutions do not provide ISBN numbers.
• At Bowie, UMES, and Salisbury, the bookstore simply provides the title of the textbook selection and the author.  No ISBN or edition number is provided.
• At Coppin, there is no online list of textbook selections.
• At UMUC and Frostburg, the bookstore can only be accessed through a student log-in, so I was unable to access the list.

Some progress has been made on "opening" the market of textbooks.  Students at UMCP, UMBC, Towson, UMB, and UB could fairly easily find textbooks outside of the university bookstore, while students at other campuses would struggle to do so.  UMCP, UMBC, and Towson should be commended for taking the progressive step of publishing ISBN numbers.

O'Malley's FY 2010 Budget Proposed, Tuition Freeze Included

The Governor presented his proposed FY2010 budget today.  Specific to higher education, the Governor has included a tuition freeze for in-state, undergraduate students for the fourth straight year.  As highlighted on The Sun's Maryland Politics Blog, this is the first time in 25 years that expenditures will shrink for the Maryland state budget (by 1.3%).  The Governor is making his pitch loud and clear that affordable higher education is a priority of his administration, increasing funding for colleges amidst major state cutbacks.  This trend in investment is unique, whereas most Governors view higher education as true discretionary cost that should be cut during hard fiscal times.  Such is the case across the United States today, and was the case in 2003 under the Ehrlich Administration.

The Forgotten Cost in Higher Education: Textbooks

That first trip to the bookstore during our freshman year took most of us for surprise.  Accustomed to textbooks being provided in high school, few of us had any idea how expensive textbooks could be.  On average, books cost about 10% of the cost of tuition, which is quite a burden for students struggling to pay for college.

The Maryland Legislature has considered legislation in the past that would help regulate the sale of textbooks.  Fundamentally, the textbook market is flawed because those who select the good (professors) do not purchase the good (students).  In other words, without the appropriate attention to the cost of textbooks, market forces do not drive down the cost.

Textbook publishers over the years have taken advantage of this arrangement through a number of strategies.  Some providers simply do not provide the cost of materials when advertising books to professors.  Others bundle books with unnecessary supplemental materials.  Publishers also update copies of textbooks as frequently as every 18 to 24 months, in order to make old editions obsolete.

Delegate Craig Rice and Senator Paul Pinsky are sponsoring legislation, House Bill 85 , regulating the sale of textbooks in Maryland.  Highlights of the bill include requiring institutions to publish textbook selections with ISBN numbers well before the beginning of the semester, requiring bundled and unbundled packages to be sold, requiring that publishers provide the cost of textbooks to professors during textbook selection, and requiring the development of a process to ensure professors recognize the cost of course materials.

I support the bill wholeheartedly, although there likely will have to be some minor revisions to ensure passage. What are your thoughts?  What have been your experiences buying textbooks?  What could be included in legislation to make the cost of textbooks more affordable for you?

Tuition Freeze says the Governor

The Maryland General Assembly opened session yesterday.  With the budget at the fore, higher education state support will be up for debate.  Currently, 22% of the discretionary budget is directed to the University System of Maryland.  The level of state support for higher education has two related impacts on students:  quality and affordability.  As in the past and at public universities across the country, tuition is raised to offset declining state investment.

Maryland is in a bit of a different scenario because the Governor has made it a priority of his administration to increase affordability in higher education through tuition freezes.  In-state, undergradautes attending 4-year colleges have enjoyed three straight years of tuition freezes.  The Governor has vowed to do it once again, but will be challenged by the legislature.  The Governor will likely ask for an increase of $25 to $30 million for higher education alone.  A tuition freeze alone costs approximately $16 million.

Senate President Mike Miller has already spoken out against the idea of a tuition freeze, in light of proposed state layoffs possibly extending to1000 employees.  Speaker of the House Mike Busch has floated the idea if differentiated tuition increases, particularly at UMCP.  

The Governor recognizes the great need to maintain the cost of college for Maryland residents--it's one of the drivers of our state's economy and its a short-term investment that helps us retain Maryland citizens who might relocate if they attend college elsewhere.  But, what cannot happen is that quality bottoms out at our institutions through decreased state revenue support not offset by any tuition increase at all.  In other words, higher education and Maryland future cannot get caught in the middle of politics.

For the national picture, check out this article.

Coming weeks and months will be telling.  What are your thoughts on a tuition freeze?  Increasing funding for higher education while laying off state workers?

USMstudents Returns & Legislative Session Begins

Hi all.  I regret not writing for the past month, but am excited to get back in communication with you all.  With the Fall 2008 semester over and a new year and Spring 2009 semester ahead of us, we all have a lot to look forward to.

As I write, I am headed out the door to Annapolis for the official opening of the 2009 Session of the Maryland General Assembly.  The Session lasts 90 days.  This year's session will inevitably be crowded by the looming budget revenue shortfalls that have already impacted every part of state government.

For higher education, two major priorities will shadow most lobbying efforts.  First, affordability will be at the forefront of discussions at the intersection of state budget support and tuition rates.  Should the legislature choose to cut higher education significantly from the budget, the likely response will be a hefty tuition increase to offset the lost support.

The other major issue will be textbook regulation legislation.  Senator Pinsky will likely propose legislation similar to last year's Senate Bill 657 .  Some changes will be made to ensure that this bill passes this session.  Also, expect other changes at the institution level from the Textbook Affordability Summit held last month.

Other issues are expected to arise during the session that will affect higher education, such as tuition for undocumented immigrants and funding for capital projects.  I look forward to keeping in touch with you through USMstudents during the 2009 Legislative Session.