Davina Zaman

AAS 151
23 September 2016
The Rising Cost of Higher Education
I.

What was college like in the past?

a.

In 1975, the average cost to attend a public four-year university (including a students

room and board fees) was $7,833.

b.

Only 18-24% of high school graduates sought higher education

c.

Financial aid was very limited. The maximum a recipient could receive was $452, and

had to apply privately. No such thing as FAFSA, the only option was to take out loans
II.
a.

What is college like now?

In 2015, the average cost to attend a public four-year university (including a

students room and board fees) was $28,387.

b.

At least 44% of high school graduates seek higher education

c.

Students can apply for financial aid based on their parents income or personal income if

they are an independent student

d.
III.

71% of students graduate with student loans to pay back

So what has changed?

a.

Public funding for higher education has been significantly cut

b.

Increase in public subsidies for universities and colleges

c.

Institutions hire and pay non-teaching staff

d.

University administration continues to grow, while professors are forced to receive

part-time hours and the same salaries as their counterparts in the 1970s. the total number of
full-time faculty members in the C.S.U. system grew from 11,614 to 12,019 between 1975 and
2008, the total number of administrators grew from 3,800 to 12,183 a 221 percent increase.
IV.

How to fix it

a.

Students could protest the expanding of administration

b.

Vote for state and federal legislature and candidates devoted to helping students afford

college.

WORKS CITED
1. C
ampos,

Paul F. The Real Reason College Tuition Costs So Much. The New York Times,
The New York Times, 4 Apr. 2015,
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/opinion/sunday/the-real-reason-college-tuition-costs-so-mu

ch.html?_r=0.
2. O
nink, Troy. College Costs Could Total As $334,000 In Four Years. Forbes, Forbes
Magazine, 31 Jan. 2015,
http://www.forbes.com/sites/troyonink/2015/01/31/college-could-cost-as-much-as-334000-total-i
n-four-years/#aa5a768679ff.
3. FinAid | FinAid for Educators and FAAs | History of Student Financial Aid.FinAid |
FinAid for Educators and FAAs | History of Student Financial Aid,
http://www.finaid.org/educators/history.phtml.
4. U
niversity, Princeton. The Future of Children, Princeton - Brookings: Providing Research
and Analysis to Promote Effective Policies and Programs for Children. - The Future of
Children -,
http://futureofchildren.org/publications/journals/article/index.xml?journalid=72&articleid=523i
onid=3589.
5. Tuition and Fees and Room and Board over Time, 1975-76 to 2015-16, Selected Years. Trends in Higher Education, The College Board,
https://trends.collegeboard.org/college-pricing/figures-tables/tuition-and-fees-and-room-and-boar
d-over-time-1975-76-2015-16-selected-years.