More Money, More Problems
Tuition rates rise 6.3 percent, says College Board report
By Jordan Funderburk, staff writer
Posted on November 2, 2006

Students cheering on lower tuition rates will have to consider this year’s 6.3 percent price jump a victory. According to the College Board’s annual report, 6.3 percent is the lowest tuition increase in the past three years.

This year’s price tag, which has outpaced both inflation and the average amount of financial aid awarded, only furthers the past history of constant tuition increases. Over the past five years, national college tuition rates have increased 35 percent, after adjusting for inflation, according to the report.

The average tuition cost for a four-year public university, not including room and board fees, has now reached $5,836 per semester. JMU, in keeping with its standing as one of the best values, rings in at $3,145 for in-state undergraduates.

Yet public universities such as JMU still cannot support themselves off tuition alone.

“JMU’s largest component of institutional revenue to support education and general programs includes state appropriations and student tuition and fees,” DianeStamp, JMU’s assistant vice president for budget management, said.

Where has all the money gone? Stamp said tuition and state appropriations mostly pay for professors’ salaries and benefits, which comprise 80 percent of the yearly budget.

Freshman Pat McAndrews did not see cutting back the number of teachers as the answer.

“It would probably be the easiest, but not the best method,” McAndrews said. “If you start to cut back, you are not going to get as good professors.”

Most other students agreed that cutting back the number of professors was not the answer. “A good ratio of teachers to students facilitates learning,” sophomore Drew Brittle said.

In order to decide how much to charge students, JMU must take several factors into consideration.

“The amount of revenue that is allocated from the state impacts fee recommendations as well as costs associated with operating expenditures,” Stamp said. She also pointed out that university costs like salaries and maintenance are often not controlled by the school.

“The cost of tuition is influenced by state mandates, energy and utility costs and facilities costs, which in the cases of utilities are driven by an external market,” Stamp said.

The alarming trend of ever-increasing tuition rates has left many prospective students looking for alternatives. Attending a two-year college before transferring has become an attractive solution. Two-year college rates average only $2,272 per semester.

Hefty student loans, or even the federal work-study program, which finds jobs for students, have also become increasingly popular.
Another option is paying for college through military service. Veterans receive funds from their G.I. Bill and ROTC recruits can often receive full-tuition coverage.

“We do not have a single student right now who is paying for their own tuition,” Army ROTC recruiting officer Capt. Lesley Kipling said.

But, solutions to increasing tuition may be hard to come by.

“I don’t see tuition decreasing from present-day costs,” Stamp said, “unless the state supplements the university operating budget by providing the funding needed to support the loss of student revenues.”

Brittle still thinks universities should try to keep tuition as low as possible.

“If you raise tuition, you block out other people,” Brittle said. “It would be beneficial to the economy to have more people with a college education."