Tuition increase is a selective tax

I was having lunch with my friend Stephen when I told him that I thought states raised taxes selectively by cutting money given to colleges and giving that money to k-12, since colleges could raise tuition.  In other words the state legislatures understand that cutting money to colleges would lead to selective increases on the students and parents who pay the tuition.  These increases are a selective tax that does not reach everyone but really hurts the people who have to pay it.