Allen Wants to Tie Tuition to Inflation: Democrats Blamed for Soaring College Costs
MEDIAN TUITION FEES FOR ALL VIRGINIA PUBLIC COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES; FIGURES IN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR IN-STATE TUITION AND REQUIRED FEES</br></br>RICHMOND, Aug. 25ÛÓRepub-lican gubernatorial nominee George F. Allen, taking Virginia Democrats to task (or soaring tuition at public colleges and universities, said today students should be guaranteed that such fees wonÛªt rise more than the inflation rate in the four years after they enroll.</br></br>Allen criticized Democratic rival Mary Sue Terry for supporting Gov. L. Dougins WilderÛªs policy of passing on cuts in state funding to students by raising fees an average of nearly 50 percent over the last three years.</br></br>"When the Wilder-Terry Democrats could not make ends meet within the state budget,Û Allen said during a news conference here, "they took advantage of a captive group: those who were already in college or whose children were already in college."</br></br>Terry has pledged to "hold the lineÛ on tuition increases, but she refused to endorse AllenÛªs idea of guaranteeing that any tuition increases be tied to inflation.