Last week's decision by trustees to increase tuition at South Carolina State University by 11 percent this fall should serve as another reminder to the state Legislature about the need to impose a tuition cap for state colleges and universities.

While Gov. Mark Sanford has recommended a tuition cap designed to keep cost increases at a minimum by forcing state colleges to examine duplicative programs, the Legislature has failed to endorse his plan. The House-approved caps would still allow double-digit increases in percentage hikes. And the Senate scuttled caps altogether.

Continued tuition increases threaten the ability of some state students to attend college, particularly those who aren't able to gain lottery scholarships. While some in-state students struggle, some state colleges routinely offer in-state tuition to out-of-state students they want to enroll.

Given the level of public scrutiny and state-funding boosts, it's possible that some college trustees will restrain their appetites for higher tuition this year. But without a cap, there's no guarantee that large increases won't occur in the future.

Without a cap, there will be little incentive for state colleges to examine programs that are duplicated within the higher education system, much less look at examining which state schools may be superfluous. Taking a pass on tuition caps will allow the colleges to continue their upward trend in cost, though not necessarily in quality.