Page 62 - Crisis in Higher Education

36 • Crisis in Higher Education

process of determining fees. Although the results apply only to Colorado,
it is not unreasonable to assume that other states have similar issues and
concerns. The audit provides specific data on tuition and fees from 2006
to 2010 for the state’s public colleges and universities. Table 2.1 shows
that fees rose steadily and substantially from $89.3 million in 2006 to
$216.3 million in 2010, which is a 142% increase. During this same period,
tuition increased by a not-so-modest 69%. 2
There are three factors about the data that should be discussed. First,
the assumption is made that the mix of resident and nonresident students
was approximately the same across the five years shown in Table 2.1.
This is important because nonresidents pay higher tuition than residents,
so if a higher percentage of nonresidents enrolled in 2010 than 2006, the
increase in tuition would be overstated. However, it seems reasonable
to assume that the mix of residents and nonresident students did not
change substantially during this time.

TABLE 2.1
Resident and Nonresident Tuition, Fee Revenue, and Enrollment for Colorado’s Public
Higher Education Institutions (Revenue in Millions)
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 % Change
Tuition $879.3 $918.3 $1,001.2 $1,180.4 $1,483.9 69%
Fees $89.3 $95.6 $110.8 $132.0 $216.3 142%
Total $968.6 $1,013.9 $1,112.0 $1,312.4 $1,700.2 76%
Fees % of Total 9% 9% 10% 10% 13%
Enrollment 157,152 155,664 158,157 163,410 179,656 14%
Tuition (EA) $879.3 $1,276.2 45%
Fees (EA) $89.3 $186.0 108%
Total (EA) $968.6 $1,462.2 51%
Fees % of 9% 13%
Total (EA)
Tuition (SFA) $879.3 $1,075.0 22%
Fees (SFA) $89.3 $155.9 75%
Total (SFA) $968.6 $1,230.9 27%
Fees % of 9% 13%
Total (SFA)
Source: Office of the State Auditor, State of Colorado, Higher Education Student Fees, Department of
Education: Performance Audit, 2010. http://www.leg.state.co.us/OSA/coauditor1.nsf/All/
BCE425B0727916C18725777D00766A3D/$FILE/2046%20Higher%20Ed%20Fees%20
July%202010.pdf
Note: Enrollment Adjustment (EA): Used the base data and adjusted for change in enrollment. State
Funding Adjustment (SFA): Used the enrollment adjusted data and adjusted for decline in state
funding for higher education.