The price of college has been rising for decades, with the average in-state public four-year university’s tuition and fees nearly tripling in the last 30 years, according to a report from the College Board.
Now universities face difficult decisions about whether to continue the trend or freeze tuition amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A growing number of colleges and universities – like William & Mary College, Pomona College and Central Michigan University – are suspending price increases for the upcoming school year, but some institutions are planning tuition hikes despite pushback from students.
The University of Southern California (USC) is moving forward with a 3.5% tuition increase, approved before the coronavirus crisis.
“The reality is that the costs of running a university continue to rise each year, and tuition only covers a portion of the cost of a student education,” read a statement from the university earlier this month to Annenberg Media, a student publication at USC. “We anticipate an even greater need for financial assistance in the coming year, and we remain firm in our commitment to meet the financial needs of our students and their families.”
In an online State of the University address in April, USC president Dr. Carol Folt said the university expects an operational deficit between $300 million and $500 million through June 2021 because of coronavirus-related expenses.
Still, students and parents expressed frustration on Twitter.
One student wrote that the hike would be a “massive ripoff” if the fall semester remains online.
