NASHVILLE - Gov. Bill Haslam says proposed double-digit tuition increases at the University of Tennessee and Tennessee Board of Regents systems are a concern and he intends to press officials about their operations.
"We have a major issue around keeping college affordable for middle-class families in Tennessee," the governor told reporters today. "No. 2, I think the universities - TBR schools and UT schools - need to make sure they're doing everything they can to keep costs down.
"But," Haslam said, "we also have to be realistic. Part of their problem is we're giving them less funding as a percentage of their budget than we used to, and it's quite a bit less."
The governor's comments came with news that the University of Tennessee system is considering a 9.9 percent tuition hike at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and UT-Martin. UT's main campus in Knoxville wants a 12 percent jump.
For complete details, see tomorrow's Times Free Press.