The Idaho House voted today [Monday] to create a legislative committee that will study the state’s system for funding higher education. The vote was 43-25.
Rep. Paul Amador [R-Coeur d'Alene] says his constituents tell him high tuition rates have made college unaffordable for too many students.
“This is an opportunity for us to have a say in that," Amador said. "How do we make our colleges and universities affordable for our individual students? How do we advance the interests of our students and our population in Idaho? This isn’t about saying we’re going to add more funding. This is about us taking a real hard look at the issue and having a leadership role and a voice in the process to say, ‘Can we make our institutions more efficient? Can we ensure that they provide the outcomes we want to provide?’”
Critics of the proposal say a working group of educators, elected officials and others is already studying the issue and this would be duplicating their efforts. But others say that group doesn’t include enough legislators who will actually make the decisions about how to fund colleges and universities.
The resolution now moves to the state Senate.