Cost of College Rises Again

Tuition increases for college are on the rise but government subsidies and aid from schools are helping to curb the climbing costs. Net tuition rose this year to $1,540 at a public four-year college and $11,320 at private colleges, but that’s below what students paid five years ago. Grant aid per full-time undergraduate student increased by an estimated 22 percent from 2008-2009, and federal loans increased 9 percent. Though as federal spending is increasing, state funding is going down—per-student state spending on higher education dropped nearly 9 percent in 2009-2009, and another 5 percent in 2009-2010. "Just when Americans need college the most, many are finding it increasingly difficult to afford," said Molly Corbett Broad, president of the American Council on Education.