Reality is harsh — money matters. The recent recession slamming the state has higher education scrambling to continue providing quality education, and the University is certainly no exception.The outlook for the future looks grim, and administrators are scrambling to brace for future cuts.Now, it seems desperation is impelling those in power to try and deceive us and constituents.This deception is taking the form of a $500-a-semester “Flagship Fee,” which would be imposed on students if the state doesn’t put up sufficient funds. This fee would essentially be a backdoor method of squeezing more money out of students. Because raising tuition could only occur with the approval of the state legislature — and that body is hardly likely to accept paying more for TOPS and similar scholarships — raising fees and creating new ones are a tested method of milking more money from students.As Faculty Senate President Kevin Cope told The Daily Reveille, “We are forced to be almost perversely creative in coming up with these fees.”Students already pay an “academic excellence fee,” a name which suggests our tuition goes toward academics that are less than excellent. We understand times are tough, and the University needs money to provide quality education.But students need to be aware of the tactics the University employs to obtain that money, and the discussion needs to be had in public about whether it’s appropriate we foot the bill — instead of institutional machinations behind our backs.—-Contact The Daily Reveille’s editorial board at [email protected]