As a recent graduate of Central Connecticut State University, I can’t help but worry about the cost of public higher education. Is it getting out of reach for students like me?
Central is the largest university in the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system (CSCU). The system’s board of regents is trying to close a funding shortfall of $140 million heading into the 2024-25 fiscal year. The state government should help close the shortfall.
Among other measures, the regents are raising tuition and mandatory fees by 5%.
I chose to attend Central because it was affordable. My family and I work hard to pay some of the university bills. I receive financial aid for the rest of the bills. Increased tuition has led me to take out more loans, which I will need to start paying back soon. This is causing more stress as I search for a full-time job for when I graduate.
Increased tuition will not help with enrollment. A Better CT Institute research study found that enrollment rates in the CSCU system have declined by over 33% since 2010. Low enrollment will continue if students are expected to pay more money but have fewer resources. Proper funding would enhance the quality of services CSCU schools provide. This could help turn enrollment rates around.
According to the recent testimony of Louise Williams, professor of history at Central, tuition has more than doubled in the past 20 years. Financial aid has not kept up with rising tuition. Students need more options for financial support besides taking out loans.
In a Central Recorder article from February titled “What a 5% Tuition Increase Means for Students,” junior Fabiola Murati talked about how the tuition increase will affect her. “I have two jobs,” Murati said. “This [increase] does cause me to work extra shifts on top of being in school.”
I was a student worker at The Learning Center at Central, where students come for peer tutoring. This job helped me pay for school. If its funding is cut, The Learning Center might not provide enough tutors to help students pass their classes. And it won’t be able to hire as many student workers.
This would be unfortunate because being a student worker has been one of the best things that has happened to me at Central. I have developed my professional skills, I’ve connected with peers and I have a stream of income that has helped my financial situation. Knowing future students might not have the same opportunities is disheartening.
Central is important to the state because of its status as the oldest public higher education institution in Connecticut and because more than 85% of its graduates remain in Connecticut. 2024 marks Central’s 175th anniversary. Central boasts notable alumni like U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, sports media personality Jimmy “Jomboy” O’Brien, former National Park Service Director Frances P. Mainella and U.S Rep. John Larson, to name just a few.
Central graduates out-earn those from 88% of Central’s cohort of 50 similar institutions, says the 2019 report “More for Less” by Central staff members. Central’s diversity is important too. The U.S. News and World Report says that 39% of Central’s student body identify as an ethnic minority. Ensuring that people of all backgrounds have access to quality higher education at a reasonable price is a value and an investment that the state government should protect.
The CSCU system is willing to cut spending, lay off staff and generate more revenue to close its shortfall. However, the system cannot close the entire funding gap by itself. It still needs the General Assembly to cover $47.6 million of its budget deficit.
The legislature’s help is necessary so that Central and other public colleges and universities can provide sufficient services to their students. Connecticut’s public university graduates are our future leaders, like Miguel Cardona, Frances P. Mainella and John Larson, and our future entrepreneurs, like Jimmy O’Brien. We shouldn’t water down their education or price it beyond their reach.
David Colon of Wethersfield, a communication major, graduated from Central Connecticut State University in May.