Tuition-Setting Authority and Deregulation at State Colleges and Universities

Operating in an environment beset by recession-induced cutbacks in state funding and surging enrollment, many state colleges and universities are turning to tuition increases to generate operating revenues. The current economic and funding climate has led to increased visibility and debate regarding control over public higher education tuition policy, which varies greatly among the states. This policy brief discusses the issue of tuition-setting authority and recent efforts at state deregulation. The potential benefits of providing greater system and institutional autonomy over tuition policy are discussed, as are arguments against decentralizing state legislative control over tuition policy.