Rep. Michael Ferguson Pushes for Fixed Tuition Rate for CT Students

To provide better stability to students and their families in planning for the cost of higher education, State Rep. Michael Ferguson (R-138) has put forward a proposal this legislative session to guarantee a fixed tuition rate during the period in which a full-time student is attending a four-year public institution of higher education in the state.

Rep. Ferguson, who is a Western Connecticut State University graduate (WCSU), proposed this legislation so students can plan their school and other finances without the fear of the university hiking their tuition halfway into earning their four-year degree. 

“I know what it is like to try and balance a job with going to school, and if students knew the cost of school would stay the same for all four years, it would make their lives much easier to plan and budget,” said Rep. Ferguson.

According to the legislation, any state university would guarantee the tuition be fixed once they begin attending the school. Take for instances, at WCSU their undergraduate in-state commuter tuition is $10,458 and their undergraduate in-state residential is $23,080. Those numbers would be fixed for the students during the duration of their four years.

Ferguson is hoping the General Assembly’s Higher Education and Employment Advancement committee raises the proposal for public hearing in the next month so he has an opportunity to testify on the bill.