Pittsburgh and Providence plan to squeeze college students

Two cash-strapped cities, Pittsburgh and Providence, have proposed taxing some of their poorest and most vulnerable residents -- college students -- and the local universities are furious.

In his recently unveiled 2010 budget proposal, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl called for levying a Post-Secondary Education Privilege tax, or a "Fair Share Tax," on tuition at a rate of 1 percent per year. For students at the University of Pittsburgh, paying $13,500 for in-state tuition, that would equal a $135 annual payment. Those attending the more selective Carnegie Mellon University, where tuition is $40,300, would pay $400.