Tuition accountability needed

State Sen. Hugh Leatherman expressed the alarm felt by many South Carolinians when he warned public universities not to raise tuition more than 7.3 percent unless they want to face budgetary consequences.

And even if his position as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee doesn't give him authority over what colleges charge for tuition, his message resonates with citizens who are struggling to get by.

Many students at our colleges graduate deeply in debt. And that was before the state's institutions of higher learning upped tuition by as much as 14.8 percent.

There is no question that colleges, like every state agency and almost every business and family, are in a financial pinch. And there is no question that South Carolina would suffer if its colleges were unable to attract and educate people to take on challenging careers in a state actively courting new industry and business.

State colleges have seen state allocations decline over the years as a percentage of their budgets, and that's occurred more precipitately with the current drop in state revenue. As a result, colleges are more likely to increase tuition to counter the shortfall. College officials should resist the urge, recognizing that students are dealing with the tough economy, too.

Even if students are able to manage higher costs through government loans, it only delays the pain.

This year, the College of Charleston has approved a whopping 14.8 percent hike; The Citadel, a hefty 13 percent jump; and Clemson, 7.5 percent.

Perhaps Sen. Leatherman has overstepped his authority by threatening to deal with state's colleges and universities in the next budget go-round. But who else has been willing to take up the cause of struggling students and their families?

A system that works in many states gives a statewide board of regents oversight authority. Gov. Mark Sanford advocated for such a system for South Carolina without success. It's worth revisiting.

Without adequate oversight, colleges are more likely to take the plunge for ever-higher tuition costs so they can expand their offerings. That results in more programs sharing the same diminishing pool of state dollars.

A rule of thumb for fiscally responsible college boards has been to keep tuition hikes to no more than the increase in the cost of living. A more conservative rule of thumb is not to exceed the "higher education inflation rate" which is usually lower than the general rate.

Certainly a prudent board and administration would know its constituencies and make sure not to outprice them.

But taxpayers and paying students deserve some assurance that the decisions being made are prudent and that their colleges and universities are doing all they can to hold costs down -- particularly in these difficult economic times.

Thanks to Sen. Leatherman for reminding the colleges and universities that someone is taking names.