Tuition and fees for four-year universities increased by approximately 6.5 percent nationally from the 2008-09 to 2009-10 academic years due to state budget cuts, according to a report released Tuesday.
“The findings were not as bad as they might have been, since in times of recession, tuition increases are often really, really steep,” analyst Sandy Baum said in a statement by the College Board, an organization consisting of universities, schools and education organizations that compiled the data.
Patrick Callan, president of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, called the increases “hugely disappointing” in the release. He added despite the financial hardships around the country, the results indicate education is a “seller’s market” and the “level of debt we’re asking people to undertake is unsustainable.”
Although tuition costs have been on the rise, the University of Wisconsin System has managed to keep yearly increases flat at a rate of 5.5 percent over the past three years.
With every passing year, it costs more to run a university and the two sources of income are from the state or the students, UW System spokesperson David Giroux said. Since the state has been going through hard times, especially with the recession, some of these costs get passed on to the students.
“We’ve been able to freeze, to hold tuition at a 5.5 percent increase amidst one of the most significant state budget shortfalls in recent history,” Giroux said. “The last time, tuition rose by double digits for two straight years in a row. This time, it was a conscious decision to keep the rate flat.”
At the national level, some think increased tuition can be solved by increased financial aid, but Callan said in the statement there needs to be cost containment.
However, with financial aid being the form in which students are making higher education more accessible, this means borrowing is increasing as well, according to the report from the College Board.
The report said grant aid rose from 2008-09 to an average loan of approximately $5,040 per student, while education borrowing increased 5 percent and federal loans increased by $15 million.
With financial aid and grants available in the UW System, however, students are able to deduct from the high costs of tuition based on need and family income.
Giroux said to balance increased tuition, more money has been put behind financial aid, making college still affordable for all students, even in these economic downturns. Students for whom need and low family income are a concern won’t necessarily feel the impact at all.
“It’s about maintaining affordability,” Giroux said. “It’s about making higher education accessible. College is still affordable, and we are strategically keeping it that way.”
He added the price a Wisconsin education is still below the national average, while the quality is above average, thus offering a great value to students.
