Bill Targets Uncertainty Over Md. College Tuition

The University System of Maryland supports Mizeur's bill in concept but recommended that the proposal be taken up first by a state legislative commission that is developing a new model for funding higher education, said Patrick J. Hogan, a lobbyist for the university system.

"Can Truth in Tuition work? Absolutely," Hogan said. "It can work, but state funding needs to be predictable."

House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) said that "there's a lot of merit" to Mizeur's bill but that he thinks it makes sense for the legislative commission to study the proposal and perhaps adopt it as part of a higher education funding solution.

Del. John L. Bohanan Jr. (D-St. Mary's), who chairs the commission, is a co-sponsor of Mizeur's bill. Bohanan said building reliability into the tuition structure is important. Further, he said, the measure would force the university system to "get a lot more disciplined and do some long-term planning."

Hogan said the university system could institute Mizeur's proposal, but only if a funding mechanism is established to address unpredictable economic factors that otherwise would cause tuition increases.

From 2002 to 2004, Mizeur said, the university system raised tuition by as much as 33 percent because it was faced with a budget deficit and received less state funding than requested.

Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) has proposed holding the line on public university tuition this fall for the third year in a row. In his proposed budget, O'Malley included funds to offset an anticipated 4 percent tuition increase, although that money could be in jeopardy as lawmakers seek ways to cut next year's budget.