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The Minnesota Daily

Serving the UMN community since 1900

The Minnesota Daily

Serving the UMN community since 1900

The Minnesota Daily

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How can we cut college expenses?

I love to hear the “doublethink” that has been spread by our student body president and groups like the Minnesota Public Interest Research Group. Out of the left side of their mouth, they scream for college to be cheaper — but out of the right side, they simultaneously demand the University of Minnesota must spend more money on programs, faculty and student groups. 
 
 
Logic says you cannot have your cake and eat it, too. I am all for cutting college expenses. Yet the current idea to play with numbers by increasing out-of-state tuition to regulate in-state tuition is not the answer. The University is simply robbing Peter to pay Paul. 
 
 
I am sure some will argue that the state doesn’t contribute enough money. However, there are about 50,000 students at the University, and the operating budget is about $3.7 billion. That means the University is spending about $74,000 per student. Tuition costs only $12,240 for an in-state student, but the state government provided $650 million in support during the 2016 fiscal year.
 
 
It’s time we start the road to recovery. The first step to overcome is denial. Once the students realize that the University and its faculty could care less about your costs, we can start demanding change. 
 
 
Sure, President Eric Kaler and his pals will tell us that they are trying to help by begging for more money from other people, and when that doesn’t work, they’ll say there’s just nothing they can do to help us.  
 
 
Don’t be fooled by this trick. We need to get over our “Stockholm syndrome” and accept that change will only come after we demand change from the right institution: our University.
 
 
Ryan Carlson
University student
 
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