Mary Potter
Wednesday, January 13, 2016 10:38 am

New classroom building on MSU campus "castle building" according to Sen. Seum.

Kentucky has been cutting funding for postsecondary education. Colleges and universities have been raising tuition and costs to offset those cuts. Affordability is becoming a greater issue every semester for Kentucky students.

Senator Dan Seum, Republican, Senate District 38 - Jefferson and Bullitt Counties- filed a bill to freeze college tuition and to limit "incidental fees" schools may charge until 2020.

SB 75 amends existing law as follows:
(b) 1. For the 2016-2017 through the 2019-2020 academic years, tuition for resident students shall not exceed the amount of tuition charged to resident students for the 2015-2016 academic year.
2. Tuition increases for resident students for the 2020-2021 academic year and thereafter are to be determined in consultation with the General Assembly;

Section 2. KRS 164.400 is amended to read as follows:

(1) For the 2016-2017 through the 2019-2020 academic years, incidental fees for resident students shall not exceed the amount of incidental fees charged to resident students for the 2015-2016 academic year.

In a press conference, Seum criticized Kentucky's colleges and universities. "I think it borders on criminal what the universities are doing to these kids," Seum said.

The bill is expected to get a hearing in the GOP controlled Kentucky Senate. It's fate in the Democratic controlled House is less certain.