Rep. Earl Ehrhart, R-Powder Springs, in the AJC on Jan. 4: “It’s pretty dire,” said Ehrhart, who heads the committee that oversees the University System’s budget. “The last two years were significantly difficult, and the budget hasn’t gotten any better. If anything, it’s worse.”
In the AJC on April 20 responding to news of tuition increases: “Overall, fairly reasonable.”
In the AJC March 5, 2010: “Between the regents and the legislative branch ... we will get us to a point where we protect higher education in this state.”
In a March 29 press release about proposed legislation that would restrict future college tuition increases: “As we have seen in recent years with tuition increases that have wildly outstripped the rate of inflation, the actions of the Board of Regents have a huge impact on Georgia’s families.”
“In the current environment, it is important to reassess the relationship between the Board of Regents, elected officials, and the citizens of Georgia and improve accountability to our students.”
“I hope this hearing will be the beginning of a dialogue that will result in a governance model that is responsive to the needs of Georgia families.”
Gov. Nathan Deal, upon signing legislation to keep the HOPE scholarship solvent: “With today’s signing, we have closed a $300 million shortfall in the next year, we have pulled HOPE and Georgia pre-k from the brink of bankruptcy and we have preserved our state’s elite status for having the most generous benefit programs in the nation,” said Deal. “Georgians are blessed to have legislative leaders who put aside politics to craft a new law of generational importance.”
From Trends in College Pricing 2010, by the College Board: It is clear that the efficiency of campus operations, the level of governmental and philanthropic support, the prices of the goods and services educational institutions purchase, the nature and extent of the services and facilities provided, the academic preparation of the students who enroll, the level of demand for particular institutions, and competition among institutions all contribute to the rate of price increase. If college education is to become more affordable for more students, institutions will have to find ways to offer high-quality higher education in a more cost-effective manner. State and federal governments will have to improve their systems for supporting both postsecondary institutions and the students they educate.
