Should NH set a mandatory limit on increases to tuition at public colleges?

According to a recent report, New Hampshire continues to have the highest in-state tuition in the nation for its four-year colleges. The Granite State also boasts the nation's highest average student debt, with graduates from New Hampshire public and nonprofit colleges owing an average of $36,101.

Tuition costs both here and across the country have been rising far faster than inflation over the last several decades, leading policy makers to explore a range of options for trying to keep college costs fair and reasonable.

One possible response to the high cost of in-state college in New Hampshire would be to institute a limit on how much tuition can increase from year to year. Missouri, for example, has tied increases in college tuition to the Consumer Price Index, while in Maryland tuition increases are tied to average change in state median incomes. Other states use a set percentage to cap tuition increases.

Supporters of such policies argue that they help to keep college costs in check, reducing the burden of student debt and keeping college affordable. They argue that the ease of getting federal loans removes normal market pressures from the tuition-setting equation, leaving colleges with little incentive to keep their price tag low.

Opponents counter that a tuition cap could end up leading to a need for additional state funding to make up shortfalls, or would require a cut in the quality or availability of courses and services.