Freeze college tuition

Madison (S.D.) Daily Leader: In his annual budget address, Gov. Dennis Daugaard proposed a tuition freeze for students attending one of the six state universities. We fully support the idea.

The cost would be about $4 million and would only apply to South Dakota residents who attend classes on a campus. Tuition for online students would not be frozen.

While South Dakota’s public universities are more affordable than some other states, and less than many private institutions, the cost of attending and obtaining a degree is still expensive.

In fact, it’s gotten so expensive that there is serious discussion as to whether a college degree is worth the cost.

Tuition, fees, housing and other expenses can wipe out family savings, or can burden a graduate with many years of student loan payments. We shouldn’t be in a situation where the cost is so high that it excludes students who are willing to work and sacrifice to obtain a degree.

The tuition freeze is a great start. It may allow more students to attend, and it could reduce the future burden of current students.

We hope the tuition freeze is a good first step in making a degree attractive to more high school seniors.