“… Squeezed to pay for an increasing number of students, the University of California and California State University systems are considering a tuition increase for in-state students for the first time in six years. The hike would mean an extra $270 for Cal State students and an additional $280 at UC annually, officials say,” according to U.S. News & World Report.
“Most states, similar to California, are now spending less on students in higher education compared with levels before the Great Recession, according to a recent report by the District of Columbia-based Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The report found that only Montana, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming have increased spending since 2008.
Spending cuts at the state level are driving many public colleges and universities across the country to increase tuition, experts say.
Here are a couple takeaways for students and parents about tuition hikes at public institutions.
• In-state tuition hikes tend to be modest. For the 2016-2017 school year, in-state students at four-year state schools experienced an increase in tuition and fees by an average of nearly 2 percent compared with 3 percent for out-of-state students, according to data reported to U.S. News. …
• Public institutions target out-of-state students for higher tuition increases. Policy analysts say out-of-state students aren’t as price sensitive when it comes to rate hikes since these students tend to be more affluent.”