ASU president Michael Crow issues response to Board of Regents lawsuit

PHOENIX — The president of Arizona State University responded to a lawsuit against the state’s Board of Regents over an “unconstitutional” rise in tuition prices on Wednesday.

President Michael Crow sent an email to the university’s alumni, addressing the “debate in the media about ASU’s commitment to access and affordability.”

Crow said the debate was prompted by a lawsuit filed by Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, which claimed that the Board of Regents “dramatically and unconstitutionally” increased the price of in-state tuition and mandatory fees by “315 to 370 percent” in the last 15 years.

The lawsuit also claimed that part-time and online students have been most affected by tuition hikes and that the board’s decision to grant in-state tuition to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients “[risked] triggering a federal requirement that in-state tuition benefits must be extended to all U.S. citizens.”

Related: Arizona schools chief Diane Douglas supports Board of Regents lawsuit

Crow, who has worked at the university for 15 years, said ASU has made “tremendous, measurable progress while working to make higher education affordable and accessible.”

The university, according to Crow, used to have a “low-tuition, low-financial-aid model” that “only appeared to be” affordable and accessible due to the “rapid change and growth in Arizona.” But since then, he argued, the university has “re-engineered our entire operating model and have made unbelievable progress in every metric measurable.”

“We have more diversity than ever, which benefits the state. More than half of our Arizona freshmen are minority students,” part of the email said.

“This is critical to Arizona’s economy as we tap into a larger talent pool to keep up with the growing demands for an educated workforce to fill the jobs of the future. Access to an educated workforce also makes Arizona more attractive for new companies to set up operations here,” the email continued.

Today, the university operates under a “moderate-tuition, high-financial-aid model,” Crow said, which allows as much as 50 percent of ASU’s graduates to have “no debt at all.” Crow also boasted a nearly 90 percent retention rate for in-state students, 80-plus percent graduation rate and operating costs that are “among the lowest in the country.”

More: Ducey calls AG’s lawsuit over university tuition unnecessary

“ASU is built on an unwavering commitment of service to the people of the state of Arizona. That includes providing the highest-quality public education at the lowest cost possible, producing highly prepared graduates and creating innovative solutions to societal problems,” part of the email read.

“This is our charge, and this responsibility is ingrained in every single thing we do every single day. We will continue to do this no matter what,” it continued.

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