I know why the Arizona Supreme Court made this decision, but I think it was the wrong one. The Arizona Constitution says that education should be "as nearly free as possible". I think when the Arizona Constitution was written they really meant this.
I personally think that tuition should be near zero. The economic benefits of free education are pretty clear to me. In Arizona, we have shortages of qualified engineers, high tech workers, nurses, doctors etc. How many people would be willing to get a degree if the costs were lower? If you have a family, it is hard to find the time for school, but if you add $60-$100 of debt to the equation, many choose to forgo the financial hardship.
Cheap education benefits the state through higher salaries (and tax revenue) and benefits business by providing more qualified applicants. I know it is hard to believe, but many companies stay in expensive areas like San Francisco and Seattle because of the large number of highly educated workers. Changing the regulatory environment or economic incentives are not the only ways to draw business to Arizona. How about high quality of life and a highly educated work force?
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