Out-of-state University of Minnesota students will see a tuition hike of $1,000 next year. Similar jumps in tuition costs will likely continue in the foreseeable future.

State lawmakers have pushed the University to become more affordable for Minnesota students, and one way of making this happen is to transfer costs to out-of-state students, keeping tuition lower for students paying in-state rates.

Just last year, the University’s gap between resident and non-resident tuition rates was the second-lowest among Big Ten schools. This prompted criticism from some legislators, who said the University should get in line with its peers and widen that gap, and the school did just that for fall 2014.

Next fall will mark the third consecutive year that non-resident undergraduates have seen a $1,000 jump in their annual tuition costs.

While it’s important to foster a diverse campus by keeping the University accessible to non-resident students, it’s crucial that we look out for all Minnesotans first and get a more representative swath of in-state students to the school.

However, there needs to be more transparency from the University as it raises tuition. Out-of-state students shouldn’t have any questions as to how much their education will cost when they commit to the University.

That said, University leaders need to do everything in their power to inform prospective and current students about how their tuition rates may change from year to year. This will help students plan accordingly — even if that means they choose to attend a different college.