Tuition freeze

Springfield News-Leader

State legislators were the first to suggest it: A ban on tuition increases for the first four years a student is in college. Now University of Missouri president Elson Floyd has picked up the idea. He's floating a proposal to guarantee an undergraduate tuition rate for four or five years.

The idea has a lot going for it, not the least of which is giving students some stability -- and an incentive to complete their degrees. But it also would put pressure on the governor and legislature to protect higher education spending.

Higher education is the stairway to a better future. The state has a responsibility to make sure the stairway is within reach of everyone. Guaranteed tuition helps to do that.