Higher Ed Utah

(Salt Lake Tribune, Op/Ed) — Taxpayer dollars allocated to public and higher education should be considered necessary state investments in economic development. And the state Legislature should make the investment in order to attract new business to the state. At the same time, as they invest in the future economic vitality of Utah, legislators would also improve the quality of life of its residents.

What could be a better deal? Perhaps transportation?

Investing in highways and trains, the favorite budget item of conservative legislators, can offer some economic benefits, though it doesn’t equal the boost an excellent education system provides. And transportation falls far short in improving Utahns’ quality of life. More roads, it may be argued, do the opposite, enticing people to drive more and further pollute the Salt Lake Valley’s already unhealthy air.

Nevertheless, according to a study commissioned by the Utah Board of Regents, Utah’s state expenditure on higher education is below other states’ spending on public colleges and universities of similar size and mission. And it is well below what’s necessary to achieve the college graduation rates that government and business leaders agree will be needed to meet corporate workforce demands by 2020.

Students at Utah Valley University, which now has the largest student body among Utah’s colleges and universities, are particularly overcharged for their education when tuition is compared to peer institutions across the country. UVU receives just $2,522 from the state for each full-time student, and students pay about $4,048 a year in tuition and fees. Both figures are far out of line with similar regional universities in other states.

The study recommends that the state pick up the tab for 60 percent of the cost, instead of the 40 percent it currently pays to UVU. Utah’s other open-enrollment institutions — Weber State University and Salt Lake Community — also rank well below their peer institutions in state investment. Among schools with more selective admissions standards, Southern Utah University is also near the bottom nationally.

Legislators pay mere lip service to the benefit of more Utahns with college degrees and certificates. But creating a workforce that feeds economic development requires more than talk. As any good business owner knows, proper investment of resources will yield a healthy bottom line.

If Utah’s bottom line is a robust economy supported by a well-qualified workforce that attracts new business, the Utah Legislature should make the investment in education that future prosperity requires. More…