The cliche that you don’t get something for nothing has never been more evident than when considering tuition increases imposed by the Board of Regents for this school year.

The 8 percent hike will mean another $257 per semester for the average student.

But administrators shouldn’t be criticized for making the tough choice to improve Western, although it means students might have to choke down a few more Ramen noodles.

Money from the increase is going toward relevant and important areas that should improve because of their importance to Western.

President Gary Ransdell has said that the increase isn’t meant to offset the 6 percent state budget cut to state universities. It’s meant to cover unavoidable cost increases, and initiatives such as the Honors College and study abroad.

Granted, not all students will benefit directly from the honors kids having a heftier budget. Not everyone will be among the increasing football game attendance.

But administrators’ most compelling argument for pumping money into programs that don’t affect the students paying for them is that those programs will continue to expand and improve. That should increase Western’s reputation in the long run.

For average students, still bemoaning the extra week’s paycheck they have to shell out to cover school this year, that means that a Western degree is worth more in the professional world.

Without doing any extra work, all Western graduates are viewed more highly, simply because Western is increasingly becoming known for its academics, opportunities and high-performing students.

The trade-off is that as Western becomes more expensive, fewer people can afford to come.

Western is one of the state’s most affordable universities, and students have consistently ranked affordability among their top reasons for coming to Western when surveyed.

But Western’s tuition increases in the past have ranked just behind the much larger and more recognized University of Louisville and University of Kentucky. The trend even prompted the Council on Postsecondary Education in past years to encourage Western to slow down increases over time.

Every time tuition takes a jump, Western loses a little of its most prominent draw- that students don’t have to spend the next 40 years paying back loans.

Administrators are trying to make up for that by transitioning the appeal to academics and quality of life. In fact, the Hill is growing more quickly and aesthetically pleasing than possibly any other state school.

They can’t afford to stagnate even when money’s tight because few quality students will want to attend a sub-par university, despite its affordability.

Maintaining Western’s reputation is important and worth a tuition increase because the increase is meant to ensure that the quality of life and learning at Western doesn’t suffer because of state cuts.

Improvements cost money, so Western can be either the cheap school or the quality school. We’re ready to cough up a little more for quality.

The Herald has somewhat fewer fuzzy feelings about legislators just now.

They need to make more of a contribution to college affordability and state degree goals, although Kentucky is dealing with financial problems.

State leaders have asked state institutions to reach difficult goals that require money that they aren’t making available.

For instance, Western is expected to accommodate 30,000 students by 2020. That isn’t going to happen by cutting resources because the state’s tightening its hold on the change purse.

Improvements such as those Western administrators are initiating are good for the state because having more noted institutions will attract more high quality employees and out-of-state tuition dollars.

Education is an investment. Students will have to put in some overtime, and state officials will have to step up to their responsibilities.

This editorial represents the majority opinion of the Herald’s 10-member editorial board.