Should State Tuition Be Regulated?

With this increase in tuition costs it is making a college education more and more unaffordable and putting students in more debt.

College tuition is a subject that I am certain is on every college student's mind. The current cost of college has become so outrageously high and so students are graduating college with what you think is a feeling of excitement for their lives starting, when in reality they are entering a pool of stress due to high amounts of debt and no job guarantees. With that being said overly expensive College Tuition is merely taking away opportunities from potential students. According to Collegefactual.com, you will see that 20 years ago the average college tuition for a student at any University was around $6,285 for the room, board, and tuition. Today, according to Niche.com, the average tuition for almost any college is over $30,000 for those same things. Today, this isn't even offered for those same colleges, we don’t even know what is actually causing the raising tuition. At this point in time, we are paying for the name. Just like clothing, we pay more for the “high end” (a.k.a the college name) items. This is an issue that not only affects college students, but people who want a good education. College tuition should be lowered because the average student debt is too high, FAFSA results can be misleading and not high enough, and there is not enough access to college for deserving students.

In 2000, the Board of Ursinus College, raised its tuition from $19,331 to $23,460. This turned out to be a 17.6% increase. Surprisingly, the tuition increase proved to be a positive change for Ursinus College. The college received more than 200 applicants than its previous year (Brickley, Smith and Zimmerman, 2009, p. 110). Other regional institutions such as University of Notre Dame, Bryn Mawr College and Rice University also experienced a similar trend once they increased their tuition rates (Brickley, Smith and Zimmerman, 2009, p. 110). The president of Ursinus College deduced that the tuition increase affected enrollment rate (increased enrollment). She simply stated that “people don’t want cheap” (Brickley, Smith and Zimmerman, 2009, p. 110).

Thesis: Thousands of colleges across the country have steadily increased tuition throughout the years and Colorado State University is no different. Today I will share with you both the perspective of those that believe tuition increases are necessary and of those against it in order to help form my own opinion on the necessity of tuition increases here at CSU.

As a college student, I have experience the growing tuition rates of the last 10 years. My mother graduated 6 years and my tuition is already much higher than hers.

Measuring Up: The National Report on Higher Education stated in 2006: “Texas’ under-performance in educating its young population could limit the state’s access to a competitive workforce and weaken its economy over time.” Yet in the intervening years, Texas leaders have done nothing to reverse this downward trend, instead slashing scholarships and other resources even further.

Compared to just 10 years ago, in-state public university tuition has risen a dramatic increase of 40% — about $2700 (“Tuition and Fees and Room and Board over Time”). At the university level, in-state college is the cheapest option. However, in regards to the inflation of the decade, only 15%, university tuition is substantially higher for families today (“Archived Consumer Price Index Detailed Report Information”). Students and families are now paying a 25% higher price for in-state college than those just 10 years ago. Consequently, this has

State legislators slashed more than $121 million from college financial aid programs alone, leaving 29,000 students without the possibility of receiving aid from TEXAS grants, the state’s financial aid program for needy students. Since Texas colleges and universities were also cut 9 percent by the legislator, they were forced to raise prices for students. Due to the uncertainty of the Texas financial aid, many college administrators reported losing numerous highly qualified students to out-of-state universities and colleges and many families have lost the ability to pay for tuition because of the lack of resources.

“College Prices Soar Again!” “Budget Cuts Cause Even Higher Tuition!” “Higher Education Now Even Less Affordable” These are all statements that have been seen all over the media: newspapers, magazines, television, and radio. (3 SV: SV) Rising college tuition in America has been a problem for years. Many students drop out after a single year due to the pricey costs of tuition. The rapid rise can be attributed to many aspects of the economy, not just a single source. There have also been some propositions of how costs could be lowered, but these have yet to be seen. The United States has gone into a tuition crisis.

Today college tuition prices are rising. Paying for college can often be a stressful responsibility. A college education is very important for many students, but when stressing on how to pay for college gets in the way, it becomes more of a burden. Kim Clark effectively states the rising prices of college tuition in her article, “The Surprising Causes of Those College Tuition Hikes.” Clark states that the cost of attending a public university, even after subtracting out aid and inflation, rose more than fifteen percent in the last

As a freshman college student I believe that college tuition is much higher compared to what it used to be. One reason why it continues to increase is mainly because of the significant amount of loans that are borrowed by college students but are not getting paid back; however, does anyone ever wonder where does the money that is put into colleges go to? College professors are not the reason that college cost so much; in addition to, the money also goes towards sport teams, scholarships, and construction work in order to expand the campuses (Carey). “Tuition at Stanford University in 1980-81 was $6,285. Thirty years later, Stanford’s tuition had risen to $38,700. Tuition in 2011-12 is $40,050,” Goodman stated. With that being said college tuition should be regulated because it would be more affordable, students would not feel as pressured, and the country’s debt will slowly began to decrease.

Tuition rose by 4.8 percent, increasing it from $40,680 to $42,580 per year without room and board (Watson). This tuition increase may seem like a small amount in the grand scheme of things; however, for many students that is monstrous jump in price. For many students, that rise in tuition may be the deciding factor between returning to TCU or transferring to a university with a smaller impact on their wallets. While the tuition increase is a turnoff for current students at TCU, it has not proven to affect retention rate, which is 91 percent. (TCU Financial Aid). Although TCU has a good retention rate, it is coming from a specific group of people, with 77 percent of our student body being white and from the upper-middle class who are able to afford the tuition of a private university. This has a negative effect on the diversity at TCU, culturally and racially, which could be considered a turnoff to some potential students. We also have a large amount of students choosing to transfer in as juniors to and pay for two years instead of four. What TCU should be most worried about is the effect a varying tuition may have on a prospective student, rather than the current students. Chancellor Boschini and the people working at the Financial Aid office have the power to fix the issue regarding tuition and to make TCU students and their families happier with their choice. If they listen and start the ball rolling, then other departments, such a Fraternity Life or Student Government can reevaluate the financial burden they put on students as

Presently, the availability of educational opportunities at the college and university level is a critical state and personal interest given the needs of the state for a well-educated workforce which has never been greater. Too many, the focal point of attending college is receiving a high paying job in the future. Unfortunately, in most states, tuition is on the rise and students who come from low-income families find themselves struggling to fund their education. According to legislatures, “The cost of college in New Jersey, as in the nation, continues to grow faster than the rate of inflation.” (State of New Jersey 1). In the national financial aid policy resources that are typically given to the neediest families are shifting towards

The cost of attending college has risen drastically over the years. Statistics show that there has been a 260% increase in tuition costs since 1980. The increase in tuition cost equates to an increase in money borrowed to fund higher education. An increase in money borrowed results in an increase in debt accumulated over time. As a result of the rising figures, the economy as a whole has also suffered because of the restricted financial space many graduates find themselves in upon completion of their degree. In this paper, we will discuss college costs, reasons why they have risen, and the best way for students to pay for it.

Today colleges are growing more and more necessary for attaining a solid path towards a successful career, yet the rapidly increasing cost of tuition is driving students away from their dream of attending college, due to the preposterous amount of money that is now being demanded by colleges across the nation and world as a whole. It is sad to see students being turned away from a successful future due to the money-hungry nature of the universities that dot the globe. More and more impossible it is becoming to have a “rags-to-riches” scenario that used to highlight the American Dream, as if a student doesn’t have the riches to afford a higher education and the tuition that is drug upon its coattails, then our society is doomed to be clothed in rags forever, unless major changes are brought about to restructure and end the indefatigable growth of tuition rates across the board.