By Dave Hofmeister
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Q: How can Miami University start charging out-of-state tuition to Ohio residents? Ohio taxes have helped to build and maintain the university. Is anyone trying to sue them? Are all Ohio state schools going to do this to get more money?

Carol Prinz, Lebanon

A: Miami University's plan to charge a flat tuition rate for all students, which starts this fall, is unique among universities nationwide, spokeswoman Holly Wissing said.

Tuition rates for next fall have not been set, but currently out-of-state students pay $18,103 - nearly $10,000 more than Ohio residents. Next fall, in-state students will receive a grant and other aid from the university that will offset that $10,000 difference.

University officials say the change is aimed at helping Miami attract more top students who might otherwise attend private institutions that have wide latitude in granting scholarships and other financial aid. Miami hopes to bring more scholars from middle- and lower-income families who might opt for another school, or no college at all - or whose incomes are just high enough to prevent them from receiving financial aid.

Wissing said there have been no legal challenges to the change. She said Miami has gotten inquiries from universities nationwide, however, seeking more details about the "retail" tuition rate.

Meantime, officials say applications from out-of-state students are at near-record levels - proof that Miami's reputation as a "public ivy" is growing each year. Nearly 30 percent of Miami's students are from outside Ohio.

Q: I travel Columbia Parkway and it is getting overgrown with bushes hanging over the retaining wall. It was always a joy to see the city or the river, but that side is overgrown as well. When will something be done?

Joyce H. Day

Mount Orab

A: Your view should improve this summer, said Gerald Checco, superintendent of park operations for the Cincinnati Park Board.

The board is responsible for maintaining the green space south of the parkway. But reduced staffing means the parkway trimming has been given lower priority, he said.

The last major clearing was done about 18 months ago, Checco said. Another is tentatively planned for June or July, depending on the resources available.

Park officials said that maintenance of trees and bushes along the north, or upslope side, is the responsibility of private property owners.

FROM THE COLUMNIST: The landscape around Paramount's Kings Island just hasn't been the same since its trademark sign blew down in a windstorm last summer. I've been wondering when we'll see a new one.

So I called park spokesman Jeff Siebert. He could not reveal too many details, because the new sign is still going through the approval process. But he said we can expect a sign that will be different, though similar in size.

"We want to create something quaint, nostalgic, welcoming," he said. "This is somewhat of a gateway for the community."

Indeed. The old sign, like the park's familiar Eiffel Tower replica, was like a beacon, a welcome sight for visitors and residents alike.

Siebert wasn't sure the new sign will be in place by spring.

Send your questions to dhofmeister@enquirer.com or mail to Dave Hofmeister, The Cincinnati Enquirer, 7700 Service Center Drive, West Chester, Ohio 45102.