University of Arizona President Calls for Cost Control

University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella states that colleges must earn back public trust by rigorously controlling their costs before asking families for more money. He argues that declining confidence stems from perceptions that institutions raise tuition more readily than they reduce bureaucracy.

Writing in an opinion piece for The Hechinger Report, Garimella, a veteran higher education leader, says universities are good at explaining why costs are unavoidable but reluctant to ask if every cost is justified. He believes families are right to expect universities to treat tuition dollars with the same care they bring to their personal finances.

A Record of Tuition Freezes

Garimella draws on his 14-year career in university leadership to illustrate that cost control is possible. He cites specific tuition policies at the three institutions where he has served.

He notes these outcomes happened because of intentionally different choices, not because higher education suddenly became less expensive.

Cutting Costs at Arizona

At the University of Arizona, Garimella says holding tuition flat coincided with eliminating a $177 million budget deficit. The university cut administrative spending by more than 20 percent and dissolved inefficient, multimillion-dollar administrative units. A comprehensive evaluation of leadership positions reduced the number of vice president roles to three.

Simultaneously, the institution worked to expand educational access and efficiency. It strengthened transfer pathways with community colleges and introduced accelerated three-year medical and veterinary degree programs to address workforce shortages. The university also expanded flexible online programs to reduce the cost and time required to earn a degree.

The Human Cost of Spending

Garimella frames financial discipline in human terms. "Every unnecessary dollar a university spends is a dollar that a family must earn, save or borrow," he writes. Those choices, he argues, mean more debt and greater sacrifice for the families who place their trust in institutions.

He contends a university education must deliver more than a diploma; it must prepare graduates for meaningful careers while equipping them with judgment and resilience. To this end, Arizona is use philanthropy and industry partnerships to expand internships, experiential learning, and study abroad opportunities for students who could not otherwise afford them.

The Role of Public Universities

The president shifts focus to the broader landscape, noting that elite private universities dominate national conversation but educate only a tiny fraction of students. He asserts that the responsibility for affordable, accessible education belongs to flagship public universities, which educate millions from every background.

"Our defining strength is not exclusivity," Garimella writes. "It is excellence at scale delivered at a price families can afford." He calls for states to invest more in public universities that produce results and manage funds responsibly, calling such investment a down payment on the workforce and economic competitiveness every state needs.

Garimella concludes that Americans should trust universities not because presidents tell them to, but because institutional actions leave them no other conclusion.