Nationwide college tuition is on the rise again, climbing nearly 11 percent this year at four-year public institutions, according to an annual survey by the College Board.
The current increase is the nation's second largest tuition jump in ten years and the first time the average tuition at postsecondary institutions has surpassed $20,000 for a private college, $5,000 for a public university and $2,000 for a community college, the New York Times reported.
Many University of Wisconsin students, saddled with a nearly 40 percent tuition increase over the past two years, expressed concern at the tuition hikes.
"I don't know how we could lower tuition, but I think it's horrible to raise it so high. I'm from a little town in Wisconsin and most kids there don't even consider going to college," said UW junior Virginia Feind. "Not even half the kids I graduated with went to college because they couldn't afford it. That's really sad. I knew a lot of very smart people who couldn't go to college."
UW professor of higher education Clifton Conrad said he is "not in the least" surprised by the nationwide increase. He said, while many considered higher education a public good in the past, today people view attending college as a private luxury, reserved only for those who can afford it.
"I do expect tuitions to rise with significant consequences for our student body," Conrad said, adding, while an economic turn-around might help, increased tuition could have a negative impact on UW's goal of attracting a more diverse student body.
"The consequences are that we'll lose more diversity, partly in terms of socio-economic status," he said. "I think to the extent we soften the blow for people of color by increasing scholarship money, we may hold our own, but it's getting tough."
According to the Wall Street Journal, while student loans have grown in volume by 137 percent in the last decade, students can borrow less than $4,000 a year under the government's program before they must turn to unsubsidized private loans.
In addition, some students may be unaware they are eligible for financial aid. A recent study by the American Council on Education found half the 8 million undergraduates enrolled in 1999-2000 at colleges and universities participating in federal student aid programs did not apply for federal aid. The ACE study concluded 850,000 students nationwide who would likely have been eligible for a Pell Grant did not apply.
"We need to view higher education as a public good, not private," Conrad said.
He noted, however, compared to many schools UW is "both efficient and effective" when it comes to spending.
"I think the university is very mindful of efficacious use of limited funding," he said. "With state, public money the university is very efficient. We're very careful of public use of money."
