Ind. Lawmakers to Weigh University Tuition Cost

A top Indiana legislator is asking state university officials to defend tuition hikes made over the last decade.

State Budget Committee chairman Jeff Espich says that growth in tuition costs at public universities "far outpaces'' inflation and the growth in Hoosier incomes. He noted that in 2000 average in-state tuition rate accounted for about 12 percent of per capita income. That average is expected to grow to 19 percent of income by 2013.

Representatives from Indiana University, Purdue University and other state universities are expected to testify Thursday during a budget committee meeting.

University leaders have argued that tuition increases have been necessary to maintain education quality during a time of reduced state funding.