Looking for a letter to you representative topic?? Here is a good one!
A new state report says the net cost of a public college education in Minnesota is nearly twice the national average.
While the state offers grant programs and other financial aid, charges have more than doubled in a decade at the University of Minnesota and in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.
And tuition payers shouldn't expect relief any time soon, with colleges and universities likely to be pinched by the state's budget shortfall that's projected at more than $900 million.
The Office of Higher Education found that:
-- Net tuition and fees, an amount minus state grants and other aid, for first-year, full-time students in 2005-06 were $4,720 at Minnesota's public universities -- about twice the national average and slightly higher than its Big Ten peer states. Minnesota's two-year schools showed similar patterns.
-- Two-thirds of seniors graduating from the state's public universities had student loan debt in 2006, and that debt averaged $21,000 -- both numbers higher than average of the Big Ten states.
-- Minnesota has high numbers of citizens enrolled in college, but the data showed big gaps by race in graduation rates. White students are more likely than students of color to complete a degree.
State officials told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that part of the reason Minnesota's average is so high compared with the nation is that big states like California more heavily subsidize higher education costs--which mean other states fund their college systems more than Minnesota does.
School officials said they have been successful in the recent past in controlling tuition growth. University of Minnesota President Bob Bruininks has made fundraising for student scholarships a priority, and a tuition program for low-income students is expected to provide $22 million in annual benefits to about 4,700 students next year. Kara Brockett, chairwoman of the Minnesota State University Student Association, said students have benefited the last two years from "significant strides" controlling tuition. But she said students are fearful of the effects of cuts forced by the state's budget situation.
"Financial aid only goes so far when tuition is rising faster," Brockett said. And of course, you have to qualify for that financial aid--if you do not, you are paying all of that cost yourself.
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23 comments:
This really sucks for those planning to attend college. I firmly beleive our government should have a responsibillity to subsidize costs of colleges at a national level. the price of college is ridiculous. i understand that it will pay for itself and there are many loans and grants available ,yet i dont think people should have to meet their wits end just to pay their way into college
It hard enough to go to college when you have no money and with tuition prices being even higher its really hard. I have to wonder cant they make budget cuts on something else the raising the cost of tuition so many people cant afford college. With these tuition costs many people cant afford college so the work force in our state could be affected which cant possible be good.
coming from a low income family i know how hard it is going to be for me to pay for college. i am 1/8 native american and could get collge for free, but i feel that as an american i should not take advantage of the system and pay my own way liek everyone else. but with the higher costs for college make it more and more hard for people who do come from lower income families to attend college and have a chance to advance their knowledge through college.
People are always saying if you go to college you can get a better job and it pays off, and I agree, but it is just going to get harder and harder for low income students to attend college and get that education so that someday they can get a good job. It says in that article that there is a higher graduation rate for white students than colored, and i believe this is due to the cost of going to college. Not being racist or anything, but it is probably because the colored people dont make as much money and have to drop out of college because they feel they are in too great of debt. I know there is alot of financial aid, but the amount of financial aid will not be able to increase as quickly as the tuition increases. Unemployment will probably rise because people cant afford to go to college to get these jobs.
This is crazy!! College is something we need and if they keep adding to tuition the lower income families will not be able to afford it. Even with loans and all that good stuff but you can only get into debt so far.
this alone is a good argument for kids that do not go to college. Why would someone go to college, get a degee and then work 20 years to pay off their debt? Some might say...work and dont go to college...I cant argue, because college is ridiculously expensive. I think this is hard on the middle income families because the govt. helps the poor families and rich people can pay for it...but middle class families have to suffer the most. I hope they find a way to bring tuition and other expenses down very soon, so I am not in debt for many years after college.
I sure am glad not to be going to a Minnesota college, however it stinks for those of you who are. There are many oppertunities to get money for college, including financial aid, scholarships, grants from the college, and paying for it with some of your own money. Although, after all this, there is still sometimes some costs that can just not be paid. I think the state should put education high up on their priority list because it will not only benefit the individual, but also the state. College and all sorts of post secondary education produces citizens that contribute positively to society, and Minnesota wants that.
Hannah brings up a good point...it may be cheaper to attend school in North Dakota or Wisconsin.
Also, Ethan, see me about the Native American tuition.....if you can get money for school you should take it. There is money out there that no one uses..just waiting for you. Why go into debt if you do not have to??
That's really a lot of money for someone with a wage that's most likely very low compared to most jobs. If you're workin a seven dollar an hour job, it's going to take several years to be able to pay off one year of college. You better hope you get hired right out of college in order to pay off the plethora of loans that you would be required to take out. Good thing i'm not attending college in Minnesota, even though it's basically the same.
Its sad to think that we should be going to a different state to go to college rather than go to college in our own state. I will most likely go to college in Minnesota so it sucks to know that I will be paying more just because I want to go to college in Minnesota. There is also financial aid available but the chances that I would receive any of that is slim to none. I guess I will be graduating from college with a lot of debt then.
It's nice to think that we'd all earn more if everyone went to college, but there's never going to be a need for everyone to be college-educated. If everyone was college-educated, some people will still end up working minimum wage jobs. The point is, people need to have a knack, and there needs to be a need, for the job a person intends to do, before that person spends years of time and thousands of dollars preparing for what isn't a guaranteed eventuality. A college education doesn't guarantee a great job. Still, I would hope our state gave everyone equal or better opportunity than the rest of the nation.
This is why I am going to school in North Dakota. With the higher tuition Minnesota is just discouraging students from attending college in Minnesota. Plus I won't receive much financial aid which kind of sucks but it just means that I will have to work more to pay it off. Hopefully I just become a billionaire.
the state is crazy. what is going to happen in the next 5- 10 years it is going to cost so much a student may be in debt for about 5-10 years
this sucks
It does suck that it cost so much to go to college. Our state really should do something to lower the tuition cost. I sure am glad that my family is not rich and i got an athletic scholorship so i can go to college for basicly free because otherwise i probably wouldn't even think about going.
i dont know how people can offerd to send thier kids to college. i mean they have to bascily plan for them to go to college as soon as they are born if the price of tution is going to be like this. likei know my self i am going ot have to pay for college by my self. my parets cant pay for it so i am going to and it really sucks
Haven't we always heard that a college education leads to more money...Then why can't low income families afford to go to college so they can get a higher education? Its crap. The rich will keep getting richer and the poor will probably stay poor. With higher tuitions its going to be hard to pay for all of it even with financial aid..assuming that you'd qualify for financial aid. Maybe if everyone went to college out of state, MN would take a hint.
Yeah this really sucks so many people cant afford college and the cost is just gettin higher. I know im guna be paying off my shcooling probly for my whole life because its so freaking expensive. Why should education cost THAT much anyways?
tuition is crazy why can't the state pay for someones college degree. when tuition goes up it causes headache for all college students because when they get their degree it is going to take years for them to pay this off. It really sucks for them and they suffer for it.
i think that it is hard enough to go to college when you have no money. I personally work two jobs and i still have barley any money paying for things i have. And i know my parents will help but they will only get to help so much since i am a low income family.. I wish they would give us a break on tuition prices. I agree with beth cant they make like budgets cuts or something to help kids who really want to go to college go...
I agree with master willy! It sucks planning for college especially when you are trying to pay for everything on your own. Tuition for college is so high right now! I work 2 jobs right now pay a loan payment, cell phone, and insurance payments and i can barely afford all those together how can afford college. I think the should make budget cuts on something other than our future!!
we are really being bit in the butt on this one! its really sad, because there are so many people where their family makes some money, but not enough to help with the childs eduction and yet the state thinks that they make plenty and therefore the child doesn't recieve any financial help.
our government is stupid. simple as that. we dont spend enough on education. so college is harder to pay for. i dont get help from the government im part of the middle class. i cant get aid for that.
I think this really sucks to. I plan on attending college in the fall, but with the tuition in mn is going up every year it is going to be hard to pay for college. Some kids can't afford to go to college because they don't meet the requirements for grants or they just can't afford it. Something needs to be done to help these kids out, so that they can got to college.
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