Since I graduated from the University of North Dakota in 2002, tuition and mandatory fees at our state's flagship university have increased by nearly 100%. This makes the opportunities of higher education a lot more expensive to come by for today's students. For some, it puts attending college out of reach.

In a state that is struggling to retain its young people, burdening our students with excessive debt doesn't make a lot of sense. That's why I'll introduce legislation that will freeze tuition at its current level for the next two years while using excess funds from our state's sizeable budget surplus to ensure that our universities have the resources needed to effectively perform their important duties.

Neighboring states like Montana have instituted a tuition cap in recent legislative sessions, and North Dakota should follow suit in order to keep pace. A tuition freeze will help North Dakota keep more of its best and brightest at home and give us time to develop an even more creative way for students to finance their education in our state.