Tuition soars at public colleges

WASHINGTON – Tuition costs at public colleges rose more

rapidly last year than at any time over the past three decades,

according to a new report released Tuesday. After adjusting for

inflation, costs were up 13 percent for the year and 47 percent for

the past decade.

The annual report by the College Board, which collects data from

more than 4,000 institutions, said tuition and fees also rose

substantially last year at private colleges and universities, but

at a slower rate than in the public sector. If room and board costs

are included, the average student now pays $26,854 a year to attend

a private university, and $10,636 to attend a public university in

his own state.

“College tuition and fees are getting out of control, and

we need to do something about it,” said Rep. Howard

“Buck” McKeon, R-Calif., who has proposed legislation

that would penalize institutions that “repeatedly engage in

exorbitant tuition hikes.”

According to the College Board, the 13 percent real increase in

tuition at public colleges last year was “the highest in at

least three decades.” It followed an inflation-adjusted

increase of 8 percent the previous year, “a growth rate that

had not been seen for 20 years.”

The College Board survey suggests that the rise of tuition costs

has been particularly rapid in mid-Atlantic and midwestern states,

as universities scramble to plug deficits caused by declining state

appropriations. The University of Maryland increased its prices by

21 percent last year and has proposed an 11 percent increase for

next year. Costs at the University of Virginia are nearly 30

percent higher than they were last fall.

David Ward, president of the American Council of Education,

which represents higher education institutions, described the

findings as “troublesome,” but said they did not tell

the whole story. He noted that student aid levels have also risen

to a record $105 billion, and the net price of attending a

four-year public college after grants and loans is now around

$1,700.

In an interview Tuesday, Education Secretary Roderick Paige

expressed concern about the rising cost of a college education,

which he described as “out of whack” with inflation

levels, but said he had still not decided whether to endorse the

McKeon’s Affordability in Higher Education Act. The act could

result in the withdrawal of public funding from any institution

that increases its tuition fees more than twice the rate of

inflation over five years.

Michael Dobbs
The Washington Post
The Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service

Related Posts:

1. Board approves 5 percent fee hike
2. Board approves 5 percent increase for next academic year
3. Pearson explains budget cuts, tuition hike
4. Pearson explains budget cuts, tuition hike
5. Tuition rises faster than CPI