Paying tuition

In 1981, student tuition at Missouri's state colleges and universities paid for 15 percent of the operating costs of those institutions.

Most of the cost was funded by state appropriations. This year, tuition paid for 37 percent of the schools' operating costs, and appropriations dropped to 32 percent. It was the first time that students paid more for their education than taxpayers.

State Auditor Claire McCaskill, in a report issued last week, cited Southeast Missouri State University as a "good example" of reducing expenses during a period of tight state funding due to budget restraints.

At the same time legislators were cutting funding for higher education, they were also raising questions about the hefty increases in tuition. Some suggested they might impose limits on how much tuition can go up.

Southeast last week became the first Missouri university to announce a plan to cap tuition increases.

Under the plan, tuition won't go up more than $400 a year starting next fall, although the cap could change after the 2010-2011 school year.

The Cape Girardeau university's tuition continues to be a bargain compared to other schools.

How the legislature deals with the cuts in funding on the one hand and pressure to cap tuition increases on the other will be interesting in the years ahead. Southeast has taken a pre-emptive step that should serve its students well.