Oakland students are due to pay 7 percent more for tuition than last year. The figure represents the largest tuition hike for the upcoming school year among Michigan public universities.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg, though. As reported by The Oakland Post’s Kevin Graham and Andrew Craig, the state’s investment in the school for the upcoming school year amounts to only 19 percent of its operating costs.

That makes us think of the old adage about growing children needing food and plenty of it. While OU can by no means be equated with a five-year-old stuffing peas up its nose, it is experiencing a time of growth that is in danger of being stifled.

We understand cuts are occurring statewide and every school is affected. The problem lies in the fact that Oakland was never even on a level playing field when it came to state appropriations.

Currently, OU will stand to receive 35 percent less than the state average in funding per student. It’s hard to grow strong when a school has less money than other competitors and is still expected to keep in accordance with the same benchmarks.

We don’t know why there is such a disparity in resources available to OU students compared to other schools, but we do know it’s a huge disadvantage.  A lack of money affects every level of school function from basic necessities like campus maintenance to student life and — the most essential — education programs.

Earlier this year, OU President Gary Russi tasked the school with defining its brand. Even though branding and imaging have been the subjects of a myriad of meetings with students, staff and faculty and an all-day conference that brought together hundreds of movers and shakers from the community, it’s hard to see how the school can grow at this point in time.

All at the Creating the Future II conference brought up a plethora of solutions, but fundraising and finding ways to increase revenue were not the primary focus.

The school is growing — both in population, academics and athletic stature — yet we’re hindered by these cuts at a time when we’re trying to redefine ourselves and build a brand.

It feels like we’re trying to take two steps forward, but the budget cuts are pushing us back. We’re limiting what we’re trying to offer people, making the school ill-equipped for the higher education race.

As the young school garners more recognition through a strengthened, growing alumni network, top-notch degree programs, increased student involvement and high-performing athletics, we’re seeing more of a budget crisis.

The school is at the start of its grand debut on the national stage with basketball star Keith Benson ascending to his newfound fame in the NBA. The doors of the OU William Beaumont School of Medicine open in less than a month.

Fresh eyes are turning to Oakland County, Michigan (Not California).

The school needs to be able to represent itself in its full form, not as a shell of itself crippled by dwindling amounts of state funding.