UNM Budget Cut's...really?? part 1

"Budget Summit brings cuts, tuition increase: Regents approve 5 percent tuition increase for 2009-10"

by Leah Valencia



So anyone who comes to UNM knwos that for a few years now, the tuition rate has increase and there are some people who do not like that there is an increase like what seems like every 5 minutes, I would say like every 5 second at the rate we are going. But anyways, every year UNM increase the tuition rate and every year you have people who try and fit the increase but they never seem to win and that could be partly because they are just students here at UNM and no one really listens to students. There are those that do fight for the increase and I think that that my because they just want more money or just because they want to see how far the student are going to go before they leave UNM because they can affort to come to school here anymore, that should not be much longer.



Will the tuition will be going up only 5% for those that are in state students, which does not seem that bad but when you look at last years tuition which was about $4834 and now it is going up $268 which means $5102. But remember that is for someone that is in state undergraduate student. If you are out of state, you will not be so lucky because their tuition is going up 10% next year which means they will be paying $1547 more than last year so their total is $17255. WOW that is an arm and two legs and why don't we just through in the other arm, maybe a lung, and their first borne child just to be able to pay for school. That is what we have to pay for just tuition, then you add in the books and supplies and food to live, you might as well as just give your life to UNM just to come here.



There is one person or maybe many who think that this tuition increase is wrong. Maria Probasco was quoked as saying that "this is an inopportune economic time for tuition increases." For all of those who agree, please raise your hand and stand up now to voice your opionion but you just may not be hear but you can still say something like Procasco is saying.



Is this something that really needs to happen now with our economic failing so bad that some people can't even afford to by bread? This is something that we don't need but according to regents here at UNM, we need it to balance the budget sheets. How about doing this to the budget sheets, everyone from the president of UNM, all the vice presidents that we have, the regents, oh and lets not forget the football coach and basketball coach who can also take a cut, take a 45% cut in their pay for one whole year and there you go you have the money that is needed for the balance sheet. They are over pay right now so they can take a cut. There is one regent that is not to happy with the increase . Mel Eaves said, "borad would like the budget to provide enough resources to preserve UNM's quality of education without financially overburdening students." Does anyone remember what education is anymore here at UNM? I did n't think so but Eaves does remember what education is about but it still is not enough because we will be paying more for an education that seems to be going down hill.



According to what the newspaper state, and I am going to quote it here, "Legislature requires that all state universities raise their tuition to avoid a decrease in state funding. This year, a 2.5 persent increase is required for in-state students along with an 8 percent increase for out-of-state students." If that is the case they why 5% in-state and 10% out of state increase? Does that make any since to you? No that does not and no where does it say why it has to be 5 and 10 why not 2.5 and 8 like "the Legislature" said they should be? Ok this is something that the Legislature can do, see how bad the education is getting because of the increase's and maybe they will rethink about the increase every year because it is killing the students.



Why is UNM increasing the tuition higher then the Legislature is asking for them to increase? That is a quiestion that I would like answered but no where is this quesation answered just the this "president" of UNM saying that everyone in New Mexico is increasing to the 5 percent, while that is only at the univerities levels. Is he truly 100% beliving that this is the why to go with UNM? Does that truly make any sence that just because one schooling is doing that all the school have to do it? It is like saying that if one jumps off the bridge, we all have to jump off the bridge. So then who should go first???? Not me!!!!



I just find it a little weird that last year, the tuition increase was only 4.85% for in-state students, why could they not do the same this year and they just take pay cuts?



Even though this article is good at givening some details, I would have like to have heard from the students because int he end we are the onces that are getting scorwed over and we pay the price of not being able to afford anything because prices are so high. I would like to know what the students at other univeristies think about the raise in tuition for them but mostly want UNM student think and their feelings about having to pay what seems like an arm and a leg and even maybe your first child to be able to come to school here. Even with getting money for help, that is still not enough to pay for school becasue UNM puts a cap on how much money you are allowed to have per term so that is double scrowed for us. It is fair that this keeps happening to use? No, it is not because if this keeps happening, there will be no more student that can come to school.

I am going to state this one more time...where are the students opinions? We are the ones that do come here right? So why is that it that there was no interviews done with the students on a topic that effects them the most since they are the ones that have to pay the bill. I would also like to know if the regents ever asked any students what they thought about the tuition increase also did they every think that raising the tuition could cause student not to come here or are they just doing what the Legislature wants them to do? you would think that with how the economic is going right now that the Legislature of all people would understand that there just is no money for anything but for the regents and others to want to inrecase the tuition shows just how much bad taste they have. Wasn't it the presiden tof UNM who "tried" to take a pay cut a few weeks back?

In all this is just another way for UNM to get more money out of those that have no idea of what is going on or for those that can not afford school as it is right now.