College Tuition on the Rise
By: Elsa Gillis
Updated: November 3, 2011
A new study shows increases in college tuition for the 2011- 2012 academic year which reflects the continued impact of a weakened economy. To worsen matters, state funding has not kept up with the growth in college enrollments. A report from the College Board shows tuition at the average public university jumped 8% this year. The price tag for junior college is up as well - jumping about 8%. And for private schools, it's up 4.5%
"For us students we have to pay for books and everything else, so that's more money out of our pockets, and it's tough to find a job so we have to take out loans," says one Utica College student.
College Board's report points out that the numbers also reveal substantial state-to-state pricing variations underlying the national averages. At Utica College, the cost of full-time tuition for the 2011-2012 year is more than $29,000. Last year, it was about $28,000. At Hamilton College, tuition increased more than 3% since last year. And at Mohawk Valley Community College, tuition went from $3,400 dollars to almost $3,600. Lastly, tuition at Herkimer County Community College increased by about $100.
While the numbers in our area don't necessarily match the nation's, any increase is a bad one for most students.
"College is too expensive as it is and it just places a lot of burden on students. And certain people they really can't afford it as it is and increasing it is just ridiculous," says Utica College student Melanie Celestine
"Students' decision on where they go to school is pretty much based off how much you can pay, and it shouldn't be like that," says student Joel Kamilow. "They should be able to go to school for the education not because they have a price limit."
Despite the increase in tuition, it hasn't deterred students from enrolling. College Board says postsecondary enrollment increased by about 22% between 2006 and this year.
