To the editor:

This week, I attended orientation at Kansas University. My son is a freshman, an exciting time in his life, and I am thrilled for his educational journey to continue at a university so rich in history and academic excellence. I attended the financial aid session, and the presenter was correct in telling us that education is expensive, but ignorance is even more costly.

This would have been the perfect opportunity to discuss the recent, dramatic increase in tuition and how it came to be. Parents, the conservatives in the Kansas Legislature slashed funding for higher education and Gov. Brownback signed those cuts into law, directly generating that tuition hike. I understand the university is increasing tuition to maintain standards and quality, but I hope they take the opportunity to educate future students and parents attending orientation what to expect, and more importantly, why it happened.