Arizona superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas in a statement released on Wednesday said that she supports Attorney General Mark lawsuit over university tuition increase.

She also said that she wants the state to invest more money in education “across the board”.

She in that statement said that she agrees with Attorney’s claim that the regent’s tuition increase has violated the Arizona Constitution.

Arizona Constitution states that university instruction shall be furnished “as nearly free as possible”. Brnovich filed the lawsuit in Maricopa County Superior Court last week. It challenges in-state tuition hikes at the state's three public universities that have led to cost increases of as much as 370 percent in the past 15 years.

Douglas said in her statement that it "is plainly not the case in our state right now" that the cost to attend a state university is "as nearly free as possible."

"We want to set our children up for success when they graduate from college, not be riddled with so much debt that their choices are limited,” Douglas said.

"It is overdue that we have a serious conversation about controlling the cost of a college education in Arizona."

Douglas sits on the Board of Regents as the state's superintendent of public instruction but does not regularly attend meetings.

Arizona Board of Regents Chairman Bill Ridenour has criticized the attorney general's lawsuit, saying it is "full of attacks, but offers no constructive remedies." Ridenour said the rising cost to attend college is mainly due to a "massive defunding of public higher education."

Arizona University President Michael Crow said this week attending ASU is more accessible for students than ever While in-state tuition for ASU undergraduate students is $10,792 this year, Crow said the average net tuition paid by in-state residents is about $2,000 because of financial assistance through the university and federal grants.

Crow wrote in a commentary that "In fact, no student who is academically qualified to attend ASU will be turned away, I can say with confidence that ASU today is delivering great value to students from Arizona at a cost of tuition as close to free as possible."

Brnovich also submitted commentary on the tuition increase and ASU's stated “moderate tuition, high-financial-aid model.”  

"The increase is partially due to inflation and a reduction in the overall funding from state tax revenues, but that doesn’t begin to cover it," Brnovich said. "Those who come from middle-class families and whose academic achievement is about average can expect to be saddled with the most debt upon graduation.

"Attending College is a part of the American dream for many of us, but how is education 'as nearly free as possible' for this half of our kids? It’s not."

By A.s