The unofficial online home for fans of the Kent State University Golden Flashes. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

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Another big jump in tuition at Kent State next fall. Don't think we are alone in this, or that it's all Kent's fault, or that it's limited to Ohio. The Illinois schools are probably also going to take a jump given our budget crunch (know personally of pain from increases at U of I last year).

Don't know about the rest of you, but this really bugs me. Trust me, I don't want to pay any more taxes than anyone else, but at some point "you get what you pay for." I agree states should be accountable for spending and, like everywhere else, things can probably be done more efficiently. But pricing lower and middle class kids out of a chance for an education hurts now and hurts more later. Sems to me Kent plays an important role in providing middle class kids (like me) with a path to an education and I'd hate to see that slip away, for them or for the quality of life in the region.

Sorry for the diversion away from sports...but I had to rant to someone. Anyone else bothered by this?

I am definately disturbed by this trend as well. I come from a blue collar family and was first generation to go to college. KSU caters to people like us. I am not sure that today my family would have been able to put me through school with no loans, work study, etc. The rust belt states are not meeting the needs of the 21st Century. In Ohio, they are still concentrating on saving or attracting blue collar jobs rather than properly funding primary, secondary and unversity education for its children.

I return you now to sports talk...

The problem is that Corporate Carol has visions of turning Kent into a Miami of NE Ohio. She forgets that something like half of Kents' students are the first generation to go to college. The higher-ups in the University need to appreciate Kent for what it is: a school that trains residents of NE Ohio to hold jobs in NE ohio. Many of our Nurses, teachers and police come out of Kent. That's what the school is for. As a graduate of Kent, I am fine with that. If they keep bumping tuition up, middle class people will have to look elsewhere.

Actually, it was Micheal Schwartz that had the passion to set Kent apart from the nearby state schools (i.e. Cleveland State, Youngstown and Akron) by building it's academic reputation. And, it appears to be working with something like 10,000 applications for 3,000 spots on the main campus next fall, even while cutting of admissions early. Attracting a higher profile student is consistent with a focus to educate first generation college kids or kids from blue collar families; kind of a bonus to attract smart kids who aren't afraid of hard work and have pride on the line. That kind of talent should be able to contribute in NE Ohio or wherever they'd like.

The Flash pretty much nailed the problem...not enough state focus on preparing students for 21st century jobs and global competition, which is what I thought state schools were supposed to do by offering a quality education at an affordable price. It s***s that people resent a few extra bucks in taxes to keep good education affordable or value it as an investment, except for their kids.

This is depressing. I am returning to cheerful thoughts of Flash football.

The problem is in Bob Taft's office. He chirps about his "Third Frontier" program that will bring high tech jobs to Ohio, yet cuts funding to colleges. He hasn't grasped the concept of universities as business and tecnology incubators. We NEED strong public universities in order to compete with other states. There is a reason the high tech boom at the end of the decade happened where it did: Strong colleges.

Silicon Valley: Stanford and Cal Berkley
The Research triangle: Duke North Carolina and NC State
Austin TX: University of Texas.