College Costs: High and Rising

[marmar]

from OurFuture.org:



College Costs: High and Rising
By Armand Biroonak

March 18th, 2009 - 8:42pm ET



New data released today by the Department of Education shows that college costs increased substantially for the 2007-2008 school year. Although colleges continue to welcome large numbers of students, the price tag for higher education climbs upward. Students are struggling and America is falling behind.

The tragedy is that tuition at public colleges has risen even faster than at private colleges. The institutions that were created to provide public backing for broad public access are letting us down. The average tuition at a public four-year university has increased 29% between 2000 and 2007. Private college tuition increased by 13% over the same period. (All figures are adjusted for inflation)

The problem becomes more vivid when individual states are examined. Between 2000 and 2007, California has seen tuition increase by 37%, Illinois an increase of 44% and Massachusetts by 39%.

And we all know, of course, that these were not boom economic times. The cost of attending a public university was 25% of an annual household income in 2007. Incomes have been flat since 2000, and in the last year savings accounts have plummeted.

It comes to no surprise then that a December 2008 study by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education showed 49 states received a grade of F (failing) on college affordability. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2009031218/college-costs-high-and-rising

[ogneopasno]

1. The private liberal arts college I went to now charges $43,700 a year, about four times the cost

per year when I graduated. It's not worth it. It almost wasn't worth it then. It's a fucking joke, frankly.

[tammywammy]

2. I go to a small private business school

It's $5800 to take three courses (on a trimester system here, so that's 12 hrs).

But the bonus for this school, they have no debt so all tuition goes to current things, not paying for older buildings or loans.

[Life Long Dem]

3. An education bubble.

[hfojvt]

4. How high's the tuition papa?

He said 'it's five feet high and rising.'

It would be nice if they talked about a cause for rising tuition. I tried to find it in the Kansas state budget. Was there a cut in Federal aid to the states from 2001-2004 followed by a cut in state aid to education? I do remember that there was a budget crunch in 2002-2004 similar to the one we have now. This was preceded, of course, by Republican legislatures and Governors saying 'we have a surplus, so let's cut taxes for the rich'.

So many states were doing this in the late 1990s. Wisconsin even sent me a check even though I had moved to Iowa. At least it was a sales tax rebate and perhaps not as regressive as other tax cuts.

[rucky]

5. Why?

Never ever heard a good reason for this.