The University of California Board of Regents voted last Thursday to gradually increase in-state tuition by 27.6 percent over the next five years, bringing the cost of tuition to $15,560, according to the New York Times. Out-of-state students face a $10,000 tuition hike, bringing the cost of attendance to about $45,000 a year. Janet Napolitano, the president of the university system, claims these hikes are necessary for the UC system to remain “competitive” in the wake of budget cuts. Fortunately for Binghamton University students, SUNY tuition is relatively affordable for in- and out-of-state students alike. To prevent steep tuition hikes, the SUNY Board of Trustees and state policymakers must keep a frugal eye on expansion of facilities and services.

Binghamton University enrollment is expected to increase to 20,000 students by 2020. Such an expansion would provide more students the opportunity to receive an affordable education. It would also be a means of increasing the University’s prestige.

However, in an effort to expand, Binghamton and other SUNY campuses should be careful not to prioritize prestige over affordability for students. Napolitano cited pay increases, retirement costs and admittance of more students as the primary reasons the UC system required more state funding. We cannot allow our University to suffer a similar fate. As we expand, we must keep an eye on the possible ramifications. If enrollment increases to the point at which the burden of its costs falls directly on to students, such a policy would do more harm than good.

It’s no secret that the cost of college tuition is increasing exponentially in our country. The decision by the UC Board of Regents is particularly disturbing because of the system’s many parallels to SUNY, and the situation hits a little close to home. Second to only the UC system, SUNY is the largest state university system in the country with a total enrollment of 418,000 students. Like the UC system, SUNY relies heavily on state revenue. While California appropriates $2.64 billion toward its university system, the 2015-2016 budget projects that New York will provide SUNY with more than $4.2 billion in funding.

State funding cuts towards the UC system came in response to a $12 billion budget shortfall, a result of economic downturn and political infighting. New York is projected to end this fiscal year with a budget surplus of more than $6.2 billion. The SUNY system is secure — for now. There is no way to predict that this economic prosperity will continue in years to come or that newly elected political leaders will value the affordability of education. Safeguards against tuition hikes and contingency plans need to be instituted before crises emerge.