Flat tuition

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

For parents trying to pay for college, one sticker shock is enough. To repeat the jolt annually for four years can wreak havoc with family finances. Consider the frayed finances of those writing tuition checks for University of Missouri seniors. Since 2002, they've seen annual price bumps of 19.8 percent, 14.8 percent, 7.5 percent and 3.5 percent.

So, it's a positive development that the university's president, Elson Floyd, is floating a flat tuition plan. The university would quote a price to entering freshmen, and it would stay the same for four years.

Gov. Matt Blunt suggested such a plan during his campaign. Mr. Floyd picked up on it, and has been holding forums around the state to hear what people think.

Fixed tuition helps parents and students plan intelligently. If you can afford Mizzou as a freshman, you'll know you can still afford it as a senior. ...

Unfortunately, flat tuition is tough on university planners. They don't know from one legislative session to the next how generous lawmakers will be to the university. If the state cuts its contribution ... then the university will have to lay a heavy tuition load on that year's freshmen, or make painful reductions that could hurt the quality of education.

If Mr. Floyd decides that flat tuition is a good idea, he plans to talk to the legislature about making the university's state funding more predictable. ... Anything that makes planning for college easier is a welcome development. Flat tuition is a good idea.