Students sue over sudden tuition hike
The Baltimore Sun reported seven University System of Maryland students sued to block a mid-year tuition increase, arguing it is a violation of the contract between students and colleges.
The class-action lawsuit filed in Baltimore Circuit Court alleges students enrolled for the school year on the understanding they would be charged the fixed tuition rates throughout fall and spring quarters. They said this is a violation of the Consumer Protection Act, stating students chose schools based partly on their costs; by changing the costs of tuition, universities are committing false advertising.
University officials decided to raise the current semester’s rate by as much as $557 after some spring classes had started. In many cases, spring tuition bills had been mailed.
The Board of Regents passed the mid-year increase Jan. 23 for all of the system’s institutions after Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. cut $36 million from this year’s system budget.
Students were notified of a possible increase two weeks earlier in a Jan. 8 letter from system Chancellor William “Brit” Kirwan, former president of Ohio State.
The increase resulted in additional spring semester payments of up to $115 for in-state undergraduates, $333 for out-of-state undergraduates and $557 for some professional school students. Coupled with an earlier 5-percent increase for this year’s tuition, students attending Maryland universities will pay 10.8 percent more than they did last year.
Study says selective admissions harmful
Researchers at Harvard University have found that state universities that practice selective admissions are not as effective in achieving racial diversity, according to an article in the Washington Post.
The report said many public universities which practiced selective admissions, or admitting a specific percentage of top high school graduates, are not keeping pace with the racial diversity of the state.
The “percent plans” have been suggested as a legal form of “race-neutral” affirmative action, especially paired with increased race-conscious recruitment, financial aid and support programs. However, the number of minorities attending state universities have gone down considerably at some state schools because the high standards of selective admissions.
Many universities with selective admission policies have stepped up recruiting efforts for minorities, reaching out to high schools and increasing scholarships.
In some states, such as Texas and Florida, the “percent plans” guarantee students admission to a state university. High school grades and standardized test scores simply determine which campus a student will attend.
Emergency training facility to be built
The U.S. Congress granted George Washington University a $5 million grant to establish a first responder training center at its Virginia campus.
The Response to Emergencies and Disasters Institute will work to train firefighters, EMS workers and law enforcement officials to respond to medical emergencies during a major disaster.
Daniel Kaniewski, executive director of the Center for Emergency Preparedness, said after Sept. 11, officials noticed a gap in what first responders knew about the medical aspect of emergency response.
University officials hope Congress will continue funding the operating costs of the institute in the future.
– compiled by Amanda Wurst
