CSM going private?

There are rumblings around the Colorado School of Mines campus that the school may become private in the near future. Due to the budget shortfall in Colorado, the school will not receive enough funding and may be forced to become private. Tuition is $7,248 per year for a Colorado Resident. The Non-Resident tuition is $19,830. Thus, if Mines went private, it would cost a Colorado Resident $12,582 more per year to go to CSM. There was also an article in the Denver Post (link dead) that stated CSU's President Larry Penley is considering privatization. If Referenda C & D pass, these institutions will receive the funding necessary to remain public institutions. If not, privatization may be the only option. As a CSM graduate, I can say that it would have been extremely difficult to afford higher tuition. It should remain public to give students from low and average income families the opportunity to get a extremely good education.