Rising tuition and room and board costs are necessary, but they don't have to go to unnecessary extremes.

Provost Sharon Brehm and Associate Provost for Budget and Planning Darrell Winefordner presented next year's preliminary budget to the OU Board of Trustees on Friday. The budget includes a six percent tuition increase and an eight percent room and board increase.

The higher tuition includes an increase in faculty and staff salaries, scholarships and fee waivers and academic technology. The increase in room and board will help cover renovations of residence halls and campus buildings.

Like it or not, the increase in tuition is necessary for OU to compete with other universities in Ohio and across the country. It isn't just us; college tuition is being raised at institutes of higher learning all over the country. Inflation adds to tuition every year. OU has to raise tuition 6 percent to be able to provide services and academics comparable with other schools.

But, we think eight percent is too stiff of an increase in room and board. Room and board should be increased gradually over a couple of years to soften the blow of higher costs.

Many potential college students cannot afford both increases at once. Try raising the room and board three to four percent next year. Then, use the increase to fix buildings first before starting new projects.

Whatever increases are made, OU students deserve and should be able to see an itemized budget list of where our tuition and room and board are going. We want to know where our extra money is being spent. We want to know our money is not being thrown at a problem that cannot be or is not being fixed.

Put the budget in a media accessible to all. Make sure OU students feel their money is being spent efficiently. OU owes its students at least that much for what they are paying.

Deposit this in your mind

Students, beware. Do you know if your rental property has been damaged in any way this year?

Students wanting security deposits back will keep the Center for Student Advocacy busy throughout the rest of Spring Quarter. Graduating seniors are easy targets for losing their deposits, because they are leaving and are less likely to challenge any landlord action.

But it's not too late. There are many options available to OU students that can help them fight for their deposits.