Tag: Paying for university

The Future of University Education Tuition

The effects of the Great Recession took time to manifest and public revenues did not snap back for several years. College enrollment tends to be cyclical. When people lose their jobs, they go back to school to increase their market value in the labor market. Others go back to school simply because they have the time. Or they have the money, or a way to raise the money for their expenses

Students’ right to a quality education

The right to a quality education is an inherent right for all students. As such, it is essential for students to act in ways that protect their rights and foster a positive learning environment. But student rights are not unconditional, and they do not apply to all institutions. 

The United Teachers of Los Angeles’ strike has rekindled the conversation about quality education as a fundamental human right. Though the United States Constitution does not guarantee that right, every state has a constitution that guarantees a quality education for students. Despite this, school funding in many areas has been cut in recent years. Don’t you have the right to as good an education as anyone else? Now you have a way to do it.

Student debt

Student debt is a huge problem that is likely to continue to increase in the years ahead. As a result, a large-scale debt cancellation program would be a tremendous step towards racial and socioeconomic equality. Not only would it increase the availability of credit to more people, but it would also help them save for retirement. Currently, nearly half of college students are heavily indebted, and they are likely to rack up even more debt in the future. There is a way to graduate debt free. 

College tuition costs have doubled in the past eight years, and the rate of inflation has climbed by more than five percent in the past decade. As a result, the cost of college in the United States is much higher than in other wealthy countries, where tuition is free or heavily subsidized. This is partly due to the fact that during the Great Recession, many states stopped funding public universities.

Impact of the Great Recession on tuition prices

The Great Recession hit higher education hard, resulting in steep increases in tuition prices and cuts to financial aid. This occurred at the worst possible time, when incomes are low and many students are unable to afford college. But now there is a great way to pay for your tuition, housing and books.  Public four-year institution tuition rose an average of 27% during the recession, and the increase was greatest for students from lower-income families.

Fortunately, the Great Recession was not the only factor that affected the higher education sector. Public and private institutions were affected by the economic downturn. Public institutions faced a drop in state appropriations, while private institutions depend on interest from their endowments. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act also played a role, by cutting funds allocated for research grants.