The Arizona Students’ Association (ASA), a nonprofit lobbying organization for Arizona’s public university students, submitted a proposal to the Arizona Board of Regents on Nov. 17 asking for predictability in long-term tuition hikes. 
“The proposal is an opportunity for students around the state to voice their opinions to the Arizona Board of Regents,” said Andrew Rigazio, a junior and ASA board member.
The 2008 Statewide Student Tuition Proposal is a reaction to Arizona State University’s budget proposal submitted earlier this year.
In addition to predictability, ASA’s proposal calls for more accountability on the part of Arizona’s public universities, asking university presidents to submit an annual breakdown of how tuition dollars are spent.
“They do have a budget breakdown now, but all it shows is some amount of money went to one thing and some amount to another. We don’t know how much of it is tuition dollars, state dollars or from the foundation accounts,” Rigazio said. “We are paying the tuition, and we want to know it is spent on something that benefits students.”
The proposal also includes a plea for affordability in tuition costs, asking the Board of Regents to avoid raising tuition higher than the average Arizona resident could afford.
In-state Arizona university students paid $5,318 for the fall 2008 semester. Tuition is set to increase 5 percent for the 2009-2010 school year.
The Arizona Board of Regents will review the proposals submitted by ASA and the state’s three major universities and announce a decision during a Dec. 4 meeting at ASU’s campus in Tempe.