Fund best opportunities for successful learning

As Iowa State University retirees, we understand the importance of adequate funding of our state universities and the effect it has on students and their learning environments. University students are our future citizens, many of whom will contribute substantially to the state's economy.

State appropriations for higher education have been declining for years. According to the Board of Regents, in fiscal 2010, for the first time, the state contributed less to the general education budget of Iowa's public universities than our students and their families paid through tuition (41.5 percent vs. 51.9 percent, respectively). We cannot afford to continue on this spiral of decreasing funding while simultaneously decreasing the quality of higher education.

Many Iowa students can no longer afford higher education.

We are proud of Iowa's higher education institutions and what their graduates contribute to the state as well and world. But we are at the point of drastically hurting the success of our students. The state must fund the best opportunities for successful learning. We support the Iowa Senate's budget proposal for the regents institutions.

Beverly Kruempel, Chair, Iowa State University Retirees

Administrative Committee

Ames