Nation’s colleges throttle back on tuition increases

The price tag for college tuition is continuing to climb this year, but experts are predicting less sticker shock than in the past two years.

A USA Today 50-state survey of 67 public flagship universities found that although some schools – including Texas, North Dakota, Illinois, California and Kansas – will see double-digit increases, others are increasing tuition and fees by relatively small percentages.

The average is 9 percent, which translates to $491. Last year, the average increase was 14.1 percent, according to the College Board, which releases a report on four-year public schools each October.

“It’s definitely not pop-the-champagne-corks-and-dance-in-the-street time,” says Travis Reindl of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. “But it’s definitely better than the two years before that.”

The most expensive in-state tuition this year of the 67 schools was Penn State at $10,856, which jumped 12 percent since last year but 30 percent since 2002-03. Rutgers was next, increasing 8 percent this year but 40 percent since 2002-03. The University of Vermont, at $10,226, had a 6 percent increase this year and 14 percent since 2002-03.

Many colleges and universities resorted to double-digit increases the past few years to make up for state budget cuts.

Others are trying to keep pace with growing student enrollments and rising costs for health insurance, building renovations and construction.

Some schools are offsetting the tuition increases by providing more financial aid, says Ken Redd, director of research for the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

But the aid isn’t necessarily getting to those who need it most, says Pat Callan, president of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.

“While there’s more money in the system, it hasn’t kept up with the increases and it’s skewed upward instead of downward, where it’s needed,” he says.

And the amount of aid varies widely. Nearly 90 percent or more of students at Idaho State University, the University of Wyoming, the University of New Mexico, Georgia State University and the University of Kentucky receive some type of aid, those colleges say.

In Texas, which has the highest-percentage increases of the 67 schools this year – about 20 percent for state residents – the University of Texas-Austin and Texas A&M-College Station are earmarking about one-third of the increase for financial aid.

Earlier this year, the Texas Legislature delegated authority to set tuition rates to universities. Administrators say they consulted committees that included students and faculty and did some belt-tightening first.

“We tried to look at ways we could save money before asking the students to pay more,” says Bill Perry, Texas A&M vice provost.