More people plus less money equals a hard time8212;something that Utah school districts are experiencing this year after an increase in students followed by a decrease in funding. But I guess when you’re already ranked at the bottom of the barrel, you don’t have much to lose, right?
Poor standards in K-12 reflect poorly on not only elementary, middle and high schools in Utah, but also on higher education institutions. Many college students opt to stay in state at schools such as the U. About 24,000 of the U’s almost 30,000 students are Utah residents, according to the U website.
You wouldn’t know it from the ever-increasing tuition rates, but Utah invests a decent amount of money into maintaining the U and its facilities.
Although the state ranks 30th in secondary education, Utah was ranked sixth for university funding by The Public Policy Institute of New York State.
The U is a huge resource to Utah, and Utahns who stay in the state to work or go out of state and make a name for themselves are also a huge resource and bring credibility to the state.
You would think that Utah would want to get the most out of its investments by investing more into education that betters the state’s image and economy. Investing financially in people, however, is a long-term perspective. Expecting great things out of students but failing to fund and support them leads to disappointing results.
The U should never have to lower its standard of admissions and programs, but with the level of education in Utah plummeting downward, students native to Utah might be less prepared to compete at8212;and contribute to8212;the U and other Utah universities at the same level international and out-of-state students can. How embarrassing.
The U is a nationally ranked research school that is continually building upon scientific knowledge. What a shame it would be to have such great things coming out of a school in Utah without any of it coming from people who actually grew up in Utah.
