In a new policy brief, we look at the College Affordability Program, which is the Senate’s plan to reduce tuition for 2015-17. Briefly:

• The Senate’s College Affordability Program would return tuition-setting authority to the Legislature.
• It would tie tuition to the state’s average wage, resulting in tuition reductions in the 2015–17 biennium.
• Reflecting the tuition reductions, funding for the state need grant would be reduced.
• Appropriations to institutions would be increased to make up for the reduced tuition.
• Current GET investors would be held harmless.
• The House would freeze tuition, increase appropriations to institutions, and increase state need grant funding.

See also our brief from earlier this year: Higher Education Policy and the State Budget.