Let’s make it free and fully government funded, that’s the ticket!
Via Free Beacon:
College tuition has more than doubled in the past 30 years and has outpaced inflation by 2 to 4 percent, according to a report from the American Action Forum.
The report calls into question colleges’ claims that reduced state funding and enrollment growth are responsible for increased tuition rates.
“What’s unclear is if these arguments alone can account for more than three decades of tuition hikes,” the report states. “In particular, budget cuts to higher education are a relatively recent development, as state and federal funding showed steady growth prior to the 2009 recession.”
According to the report, every state has increased state tuition rates and on average the net price for college has grown by more than $6,000.
Two economics professors from the University of Missouri and Indiana University developed an economic model to evaluate whether federal financial aid policies, labor market trends, and other changes to college funding sources have any effect on the rise in college tuition costs.
Their research found that increased student borrowing through the federal student loan program explains more than 50 percent of the rise in tuition, generous grant aid contributes to more than 20 percent to the rise in tuition, and pressure on enrollment contributes to nearly 20 percent of the increase in tuition.
Expansions in federal student loan programs have driven the cost of tuition up the furthest in Vermont and Washington, D.C., which have witnessed tuition increases of more than $7,000. On average across the nation, tuition costs rose by $3,355 because of federal student loan programs. New Mexico saw the lowest tuition increases of $973 due to these programs.