A New Hampshire legislator has proposed a bill that would give any student registered to vote in New Hampshire a break in tuition at the state university. Students wouldn’t have to prove prior residency, just register to vote.

This is a really bad idea that could cost UNH $75 million in lost tuition each year.

If the idea spreads, it could be even more costly to larger state university systems.

State universities have long differentiated between in-state and out-of-state tuition in favor of in-state students whose parents contribute taxes to public universities. The system is set up to give taxpayers a break in tuition, a discount for the very folks who finance university systems.

The cost of secondary education has gotten so high that it’s already tempting to fake residency to save money, and admissions counselors are diligent about identifying these cheats.

Part of the acceptance process includes a review of student applications to determine residency, which for most universities is one-year prior to application, and a determination of the student’s intent to continuing living in the state where they will be attending college.

In Maine, students must prove they’ve lived in Maine for at least a year before application to any of the University of Maine campuses.

That doesn’t mean a sophomore, who attended UMaine as a freshman, is considered a resident for his or her remaining three undergraduate years. Proof of residency is defined as filing state income tax, having a Maine address on a federal income tax form, payment of property taxes or similar indisputable proof.

Permitting students who register to vote – which can be done by most freshman in their first term- to pay in-state tuition rates will mean less income for universities. And, since there is no savings in the cost of delivering education, state universities will be forced to tap taxpayers to make up the difference.

Taxpayers already subsidize the cost of in-state students. Permitting out-of-staters to pay in-state tuition will force taxpayers to subsidize the education of out-of-state students, too.


Price of entry


A Lewiston hockey fan can expect to pay anything from $25 on up to attend a Bruins game at the Fleet Center.

An adult fan can go to the Cumberland County Civic Center and pay from $10 on up to cheer the Portland Pirates.

Local teams from Lewiston, Auburn and St. Dom’s provide thrilling and competitive hockey and the cost for adults to attend these games in Lewiston is just $5.

Given the options for hockey already available, it seems curiously expensive to price tickets for the new semiprofessional hockey team that will call the Central Maine Civic Center home at around $12 for adults.

It’s truly exciting news that this hockey town will once again have semiprofessional hockey at home. But $12 a ticket is too expensive, especially for families that have to pay for youngsters and $3 to park the car.

As planning continues to establish the team downtown, we suggest price consideration be at the top of the list. We want hockey here, but if the city, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and civic center owner Roger Theriault really want 3,000 fans at games, the ticket price must come down.


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