Page 58 - Crisis in Higher Education

32 • Crisis in Higher Education

2.1 RISING COST OF A FOUR-YEAR, PUBLIC
UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

The crisis in higher education is, in large measure, out-of-control costs.
Tuition and fees are growing much faster than the rate of inflation. For
one year of on-campus education at a four-year, public university, tuition
and fees are about 40% of the total ($9,410 for tuition and fees divided
by $24,061, 2015–2016 data). For students attending private, not-for-profit
universities, tuition and fees are about two-thirds of the cost. These data
are from Table 1.1 in Chapter 1. High cost has driven students and their
1
families into debt or has limited access by putting an advanced degree out
of reach for many people.
Although tuition and fees usually get the bulk of the attention, there
is more to the cost of a university degree. For on-campus students at a
public, four-year university, the other 60% of the costs are books and
learning materials, room and board, and other living expenses. The cost
categories are listed and described briefly here with elaboration in the
sections that follow.

1. Tuition: This payment is designed to cover instructional cost except
books.
2. Special fees: The intent is to cover services that are not directly
related to education. For many years, institutions have charged
a student activity fee for things like attending sporting events,
sponsoring homecoming, building and operating student unions,
supporting clubs, sustaining student government, and building
and operating recreation centers. 2
3. Books and learning tools: For nearly every course, there have been
reading materials and/or other learning aids. For decades, these were
primarily printed textbooks, workbooks, and study guides. Today,
other things like e-books and online learning tools are available.
4. Room and board: All students need a place to live and sustenance.
In some cases, this is a university dormitory and meal plan. In other
cases, it is an apartment with cooking facilities or living and dining
at home.
5. Miscellaneous living expense: Students need locomotion, the ability
to communicate, entertainment, and other items to live in reasonable
comfort.