College is back in session, but unfortunately for many parents that means they are spending sleepless nights at the kitchen table trying to figure out how to pay the tuition bill. We are fortunate in New Jersey to offer an outstanding array of colleges, but the turbulent financial times make it increasingly difficult to afford higher education.
For more than 30 years as a high school guidance counselor, I saw families sacrifice to send their children to college. The economy may have changed dramatically in the past year which means families are still facing the age-old dilemma of figuring out how to help their children reach for the stars through a college education. Community college enrollment is up which can be seen as a sign that families cannot afford tuition at a traditional four-year college because of the current economy. We need to keep college costs in line so that families have options with it comes to their child’s higher education.
In our own backyard, Bergen County Community College offers our brightest students with a free education under the NJ STARS scholarship program. To help spread with word about this program, the state’s General Assembly recently passed a bill requiring schools to notify students of their potential eligibility for the NJ STARS. No high school student should be left unaware that they could qualify for this program that is allowing thousands of students who might not have had the means to attend college and work towards a degree that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.
The State Legislature also capped tuition increases at three percent for our public colleges to keep costs form expanding beyond the size of our pocketbooks.
During the summer, when Ramapo College tried to force students to pay a higher tuition increase than allowed for under the law, Assemblywoman Joan Voss (D-Fort Lee) and I stood up and said no. Tuition caps are critical to keeping a college education within reach of middle-class families. Colleges will not be allowed to skirt the law and continue to pass along steep increases to families without trimming the fat in their budgets.
Out-of-touch with the struggle of middle-class families, New Jersey Republicans put forth a budget proposal that included $48 million in cuts to higher education that would have violated requirements for receiving federal stimulus money. This cut would be severely compounded by the loss of millions in federal assistance. Instead of holding tuition to a three percent increase, New Jersey college students would be looking at double digit tuition increases.
A bright future in our country is dependent on an educated population. Recent laws like the tuition cap, along with our continued emphasis on ensuring New Jersey emerges strong from this global economic crisis, represent our commitment to core working class New Jersey values.
Connie Wagner Assemblywoman 38th District
