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January 29, 2012 in City
College’s rising cost steering students to private, smaller institutions
Sam Director received a $16,000 scholarship from Whitworth after the University of Oregon offered only $2,000. “The money was definitely a factor” in his decision to enroll at Whitworth, Director said.
(Full-size photo)(All photos)
Demetrius Dennis shopped carefully to find the best college education for the lowest price.
“I reviewed the departments, programs offered and cost of tuition,” said Dennis, 34. “Financing contributed at least 75 percent of the deciding factor when I chose a transfer college.”
The Lakewood, Wash., resident had already saved about $20,000 on a bachelor’s degree in journalism by attending Pierce Community College before determining Eastern Washington University offered the best value to finish his studies.
EWU “provides the most reasonable tuition-to-education ratio available in the state,” Dennis said.
As postsecondary degrees become increasingly expensive, prospective college students are considering smaller state universities and community colleges as alternatives for higher education. They are also paying closer attention to private colleges, high school/college dual-enrollment programs and cheaper colleges in neighboring states.
Public universities in Washington and Idaho, like those in many other states, have hiked their tuition dramatically in the past five years, and another increase could be coming in the fall.
Since 2007-’08, Washington State University’s tuition has risen 57 percent. The University of Washington’s tuition has increased a whopping 66 percent in that time, and Eastern Washington University’s increase is nearly 50 percent.
Boosts at Idaho higher ed institutions have been less dramatic: Tuition at both North Idaho College and the University of Idaho has increased by about 30 percent.
In the 2010-’11 school year, an on-campus, first-time, Washington resident student attending EWU paid $18,841 for one year; at WSU it was $23,611.
Federal financial aid has not kept pace with those rising prices.
Among Pacific Northwest states, Idaho provided the least state and local financial aid to college students, according to a report released this month.
And Washington’s State Need Grant is spread thin because of record enrollment and poorer students.
As the cost of a college degree rises, so does employers’ demand for those degrees, according to a recent report by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. By 2018, at least 63 percent of all jobs nationally will require a postsecondary degree; the prediction for Washington is 67 percent and in Idaho 61 percent.
College affordability is one reason why the United States has slipped from No. 1 to No. 16 in college graduation rates in the world, according the U.S. Department of Education.
Costs shifted to students
Tuition increases and state cuts to higher education are directly correlated, college officials say.
A bill passed by Washington lawmakers last year allows colleges and universities to raise rates as they deem necessary during the next four years. For 2011-’12, the state’s two-year and four-year institutions implemented the highest yearly tuition increase yet – 20 percent at the University of Washington.
“My overall take is what we’ve done is basically cost-shift the money onto students and their families,” said state Sen. David Frockt, D-Seattle.
Tuition increases for 2012-’13 are again tied to Washington’s biennial budget; college officials are waiting to see what the Legislature does with the supplemental budget it’s working on now.
“My challenge is this is virtually a zero-sum game,” said Washington State University President Elson Floyd. “We can’t keep using tuition as a panacea to offset expenses. Our families can’t sustain it. No one can sustain a 16 percent increase year after year.”
He added, “We can cut people and work to be as efficient as possible, but you can only cut so much before you erode the quality of your product.”
One of Gov. Chris Gregoire’s proposed solutions to help with higher education funding is a half-cent sales tax increase, which would need approval of the Legislature as well as voters.
But that “is a risky proposition because first the Legislature has to endorse a budget without the tax. Then the tax proposal has to go on the ballot,” Floyd said. If that doesn’t pass, “we are up a creek.”
‘No one really wants to help you’
Sam Director, a freshman at Whitworth University, didn’t plan on going to a private university. But when he started shopping, the Oregon resident discovered it was cheaper.
“It was a process of elimination,” Director said. To go to an Oregon public university, comparable to one in Washington, would cost about the same as going to Whitworth.
Private colleges don’t rely on public funding and frequently have hefty endowments that help defray tuition costs and increase scholarship possibilities. And tuition increases among private universities have been less steep – around 20 percent at Whitworth and Gonzaga University over the past five years.
For his 3.8 GPA and 2,110 SAT score, Director received a $16,000 scholarship at Whitworth. The University of Oregon offered him only $2,000 for his academic achievements. Plus, Whitworth gave him scholarships for extracurricular activities, such as debate.
“For a middle-class white person, no one really wants to help you,” Director said. “The money was definitely a factor. I wouldn’t have gone to a private school if it was going to cost me more.”
With a dramatic increase in college enrollment nationally and statewide, there’s been a boost in high-need students, which has spread state grants thin.
More than 25,000 eligible students who applied for Washington’s State Need Grant in 2011 did not receive any money because of the burgeoning number of students from lower-income levels seeking that assistance. In 2007, fewer than 2,000 eligible students were denied a grant.
“Up until the recession, Washington had done a good job of filling students’ needs with the State Need Grant,” Frockt said. “I think the people who are really getting hit are the people in the middle.”
The federal Pell Grant, which is for the neediest students, has remained steady the past two years. The average award is $5,500 per year, said Rachelle Sharpe, director of student financial assistance for Washington’s Higher Education Coordinating Board. Most Pell Grant recipients have household income of $30,000 or less a year.
Student loan debt is taking up the slack in financial aid programs and state support.
The average college student graduates with $25,000 in student loan debt. A Washington report found a 20 percent jump in the student debt load in the last few years, which Frockt calls a “crisis.”
Partly in response to the changing environment for financing, Frockt is sponsoring a bill that would require colleges and universities to provide financial aid counseling to students who borrow money for their education.
Frockt’s plan would require institutions to talk to students about loan performance requirements and repayment rules and give them an overview of financial literacy, basic money management skills and advice from previous students who received financial aid.
Additionally, the bill would require colleges and universities to list careers and starting salaries graduates could expect, he said.
Frockt noted that the student loan debt problem may become even worse because Washington lawmakers are considering taking money away from the state work-study program, in which students earn money working in on-campus jobs.
“The state work-study program for kids who don’t qualify for the State Need Grant, that’s their financial aid,” Frockt said. “We are just cutting off access. It’s not a good situation.”
Running Start enrollment up sharply
While some high school students wait until they’re upperclassmen to think about college, others start considering their postsecondary options sooner.
Spokane resident Adriana Diaz took advantage of Running Start, a program in which Washington students can be dually enrolled in college and high school starting their junior year. The cost: books and about $150 in fees.
Diaz chose that option because “my college situation was altered drastically by the tuition hikes,” she said. “By enrolling in Running Start at EWU, I cut my total cost in half.”
Enrollment in the program has increased 16 percent statewide since 2006, according to state data. At Spokane Community College, Running Start enrollment jumped 20 percent during the same time period. Lora Culley, mother of four, knows the importance of a college degree for her children. But “I cringe every time they talk about tuition increases on the news,” she said. “I’m just wondering how we are going to put four kids through college. You need an education to get a good job, yet I see us going into debt to get those degrees.”
Her son, Adam Culley, was considering WSU, but about three months ago the teen started looking at community college. Community college tuition has increased more than 25 percent since 2007, but it’s still a far cheaper option than a four-year institution for earning required credits.
“I’m looking at Spokane Community College, then transferring,” Culley said. “I’m planning to become a computer programmer.”
Tuition and fees for a full-time student at SCC are about $3,500 per academic year.
Lora Culley’s second-oldest child likely will go the same route, she said.
Enrollment at community and technical colleges went up 7 percent statewide between 2006 and 2010, according to the Higher Education Coordinating Board’s most recent data.
For former Washington resident Nick CastroLang, the answer was attending college in Idaho.
“Idaho is surprisingly affordable even for an out-of-state student,” he said. Tuition and fees at the University of Idaho are about $5,000 less than Washington public universities and his out-of-state status was waived.
“A lot of my friends decided to go to UI, even though it’s not a top school, because it’s cheaper,” CastroLang said. “A lot of my friends have talked about other schools they wanted to go to, but they just couldn’t afford it.”
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greenlibertarian on January 29 at 1:24 a.m.
The Lakewood, Wash., resident had already saved about $20,000 on a bachelor’s degree in journalism, by attending Pierce Community College before determining Eastern Washington University offered the best value to finish his studies.
He’s going to have to work far harder and better than his peers to obtain job success in the journalism field. He may end up elsewhere, PR, or almost anywhere in general business, or teaching.
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos088.htm#outlook
nslopeofw on January 29 at 4:02 a.m.
So why do people continue to get degree’s in things that either have a bad future outlook, or are so specialized, that there are few if any jobs in those sectors?
I find it utterly ridiculous that people invest 4 years of their lives, and large amounts of savings or loans to get a degree in something like Celtic history of the 1100’s AD.
This guy at least saved his own money, and worked hard enough to earn scholarships. Then, comparing schools, used the scholarships to their full advantage.
Grants and affirmative action free programs need to be eliminated. If people want to go to post secondary education, then they need to be the ones paying for it, or EARNING scholarships. It is an unfair use of taxpayer money to send kids to school for free based on race.
Its time people in this country started paying for the goods and services they receive.
I’ll be 50 soon, and whole heartily believe in killing all programs (including social security) that make people reliant on the government. This should include any taxpayer funded free education programs. Earning money, and paying off loans instills good work and life ethics, while giving free education or defaulting on loans does not.
nslopeofw on January 29 at 5:34 a.m.
This Spokesman article is misleading. After reading articles both from CNN and Fox, here is a better dose of the realities:
“”We are putting colleges on notice,” Obama told an arena packed with cheering students. “You can’t assume that you’ll just jack up tuition every single year. If you can’t stop tuition from going up, then the funding you get from taxpayers each year will go down.”
Obama is targeting only a small part of the financial aid picture: the $3 billion known as campus-based aid that flows through college administrators to students. He is proposing to increase that amount to $10 billion and change how it is distributed to reward schools that hold down costs and ensure that more poor students complete their education.
The bulk of the more than $140 billion in federal grants and loans goes directly to students and would not be affected.”
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/01/28/college-presidents-alarmed-over-obamas-cost-control-plan/?test=latestnews?test=latestnews#ixzz1kqxVIeOL
So of the $140 billion in total grants each year, he is talking about a small $3 billion piece (that is $3 billion to all of the universities that receive grants in the US)
And, he isnt talking of cutting that piece, rather he’s talking of increasing it to $10 billion, and making sure the poor get more.
I dont know how SR can take this info, and come up with a piece about massive cuts, when there really isnt any cuts, The only place where there are any cuts are the universities cannot continue to raise tuition, unless they want to lose federal grants.
This whole story is bunk, except for the campaigning Obama is doing on campuses, by telling the college kids that if he gets reelected, tuition should go down, and grants should go up.
oneanddone on January 29 at 5:37 a.m.
For many people, myself included, social security isn’t a govt giveaway. I paid into it for over 50 years and would be ecstatic if I could just get my money back including compounded interest or the stock market growth. I’d be far richer. The ONLY reason social security is in jeopardy is because they’ve tied all sorts of welfare programs to it. How would you like it nslopeofw if money you put in your 401k was just taken away and you were told, “Sorry, no more govt giveaways.” As far as I’m concerned the govt can cut ALL other spending before they cut mine.
BlondeSquawker on January 29 at 5:47 a.m.
Go to bed, slope the dope.
rosehips on January 29 at 6:13 a.m.
This kid should research the job market as hard as he researches the cost of tuition. Journalism is a dead end field. As a citizen journalist, I’ve been accused of helping kill it. There will always be journalists. Just not all of them will be paid in the future. :(
force_vector on January 29 at 7:35 a.m.
I agree with GL. Do some research on the BLS site before deciding on a major. There is often a difference in what you’d like to do, and what you can do. A negative employment outlook doesn’t mean you can’t, per se, but it should give you pause before taking on debt and committing years of your life.
WillyPeter on January 29 at 8:03 a.m.
There is a large gap in this article’s information that discusses cost.
“For a middle-class white person, no one really wants to help you,” Director said. This says so much about the out of control costs that is simply glossed over.
The potential youngster that Director alludes to is part of the majority of the population of American students hoping to matriculate at our colleges and universities. And there is no legitimate “help” for them. They, and their families, are on their own.
That $20,000+/- is theirs to provide and manage. We know that students are fortunate if they can provide a few thousand of those dollars every year working summers. Part time jobs while attending college don’t net much more, if one can be acquired.
Sooooo, the student and family must spend about $75,000+ for a four-year education at an away from home school.
The $25,000 debt incurred by graduating students may be somewhat accurate. But it does not include the debt that parents have acquired. Remember, we’re talking about middle-class families…not Bill Gates’ children.
Just do the simple math. Consequently, the system now results in many thousands of young graduates being saddled with decades of substantial monthly debt payments.
The situation is profoundly sadder than most know….and getting worse every year.
rosehips on January 29 at 8:15 a.m.
I so wish my youngest son had attended Running Start and gone to community college. He is a junior at Western and his debts are mounting. He will probably owe over $30,000 when he graduates. And his plans for law school may be thwarted by the fact that the debt one incurs in law school can only be handled if one sells one’s soul to a big law firm, which is not the type of lawyer my son would like to be.
Community college is an excellent way to cut costs of a college education. After my oldest sister dropped out of the private university she attended, my dad insisted we all go the cc route and then transfer. I think that is wise if finances are an issue. And who doesn’t have financial issues these days?
JBlim on January 29 at 8:24 a.m.
slope says “So why do people continue to get degree’s in things that either have a bad future outlook, or are so specialized, that there are few if any jobs in those sectors?”
Maybe you should appoint yourself the Commissioner of Degrees and decide for people what they should do. You could nix junior’s life long love of Babylonian astronomy and dictate that he study Sub-Saharan horticulture instead. We’ll give you a big chair, a hat, and a scepter to give you official status in your new appointment.
soccermomsusie on January 29 at 8:50 a.m.
HAR! In a private college, he’ll get good financial aid the first year and then, after he has made friends, watch it disappear the next year. He’ll wind up paying twice as much as a public school by the time he’s finished!
THIS IS WHY PRIVATIZATION ALWAYS WORKS! CHA CHING!!!
WHY DO YOU THINK GOD SHED HIS GRACE ON THEE-M????!!!??
If you want to make friends that last a lifetime, you should join the military. AND IT’S FREE!!!
HEAR OUR VOICE!!!
peacemonger on January 29 at 8:55 a.m.
force vector wrote,
“Do some research on the BLS site before deciding on a major”.
The Bureau Labor Statistics, really? Why would you believe a GOVERMENT agency?
liberal_in_right_wing_land on January 29 at 9:37 a.m.
Funny, I have been, and many other liberals on here get attacked from people on the right when we try and include links from the Huffington Post, MSNBC, New York Times or any other so-called liberal main stream media sites……but, nslopeofw can link Fox News and claim that as fact? Yes, people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
force_vector on January 29 at 9:51 a.m.
“The Bureau Labor Statistics, really? Why would you believe a GOVERMENT agency?”
Seriously? For starters, the BLS spells “government” correctly. Second, I see no reason (political or otherwise) for the BLS to skew data. If you can think of one though, please share.
Pigrobin on January 29 at 10:02 a.m.
Most US college grads within about five years of their graduation will not be working in a field related to their major. People change jobs and by about ten years after graduating only 30% will be working in a closely related field to their academic major. Is this bad? I don’t think so. The exception are those who major in technical career fields (engineering and sciences). Most who graduate with a technical major still need to pass some sort of certification process for licensing. The undergraduate college experience is so much more than the degree. The US undergraduate education model is 1/3 general education courses, 1/3 elective courses and 1/3 courses in your major. The question is can the student/family afford the cost and is it worth it? I would say if the student is going to be saddled with big number debt, that student better choose their field of study wisely. However, it will be a crap shoot as to whether or not they will get a job that will allow them to pay off that debt. On the other hand, if the student/family planned for college for the last 18 years, don’t get spun up over what the student majors in because it won’t matter in the long run. If the high school student is inclined to further their education, then encourage them go study whatever they want, the value of that education will pay off. And yes, we need liberal arts graduates in this country.
johnclarke on January 29 at 10:06 a.m.
rosehips on January 29 at 8:15 a.m.
I agree 100% with your post. After the service, I went the CC route then on to Eastern to finish. My degree looks the same as if I attended EWU for 4 years. My kid had to have the “college experience” aka big bucks to live at a out of state college. I totally regret it, at least the cost. At the end of the day, my kid is no better positioned for the next step. She also had dreams of law school then public service but suddenly that is changing based on the reality of money.
There is nothing wrong with Community College, it is a great way to go.
force_vector on January 29 at 10:14 a.m.
“don’t get spun up over what the student majors in because it won’t matter in the long run.”
I think it actually matters a great deal. It all depends on what a persons priorities are. In other words, what is the motivation for the education? If you’ve chosen a major that is inconsistent with the long-term motivation, then you’ve made a mistake in your choice. That mistake can cost a lot of money, and years of your time.
Pigrobin on January 29 at 10:29 a.m.
FV, I assume most entering undergrad students do not have a clear motivation as to an end state other than graduation and getting a job. Part of the college experience is to help the student define a direction for their professional life. And from my experience, those that are not inclined to major in technical degrees (most undergrads) will not be working in a field closely related to their major within a short time after leaving college. I wouldn’t classify it as a mistake, it takes all kinds to keep this country afloat…besides the world needs ditch diggers too.
peacemonger on January 29 at 10:31 a.m.
vector forcre,
1) Correction: “Government” (sorry typo error)
2) I don’t see any reason for the BLS to skew their research data.
3) The BLS is run by the FEDERAL government, which it seems, many people in this area don’t believe in.
force_vector on January 29 at 10:33 a.m.
I will add though that while the major itself is important, where you go to study it is less so (excluding on-line “schools”). That being said, I have received responses to my resume based solely on the reputation of the school I graduated from and the department I was enrolled in. So, it does matter to a certain extent, depending on how “specialized” the education you received is.
Pigrobin on January 29 at 10:38 a.m.
Agreed, the school you attain an undergrad degree with is not so important. Although, as you say, it may help in certain fields.
force_vector on January 29 at 10:52 a.m.
Pigrobin - I see what you’re saying regarding motivation. I also agree regarding ditch diggers. I’ve dug a few in my day, and it’s a great character building exercise. Also, when done as a summer job, it provides great inspiration to continue going to school in the fall…
rosehips on January 29 at 10:54 a.m.
It’s all relative. I graduated magna cum laude from a New York state university. I know of at least one job in my lifetime where that helped. But what if I had a B average at an ivy league school? Would that look better on my resume? Would it help get me a better job? I’ll never really know.
force_vector on January 29 at 10:59 a.m.
If you had a C average from an ivy league school, rosehips, you could be President :)
Pigrobin on January 29 at 11:16 a.m.
Yep, most of us are not born with a silver spoon in our mouths (ie., family could not afford to send us to the best private schools like Punahou). Grunt work tends to be a common thread and foundation for those who find success later on. Isn’t that really at the core of our American experience?
rosehips on January 29 at 11:31 a.m.
lol fv, you have a point.
JonBurtard on January 29 at 12:41 p.m.
It’s good to see Gonzaga continuing to use its resources effectively. Keep educating the people the world needs most: men and women for others.
Jon Burtard
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003443637392&viewas=100003443637392&returnto=profile#!/profile.php?id=100003443637392&viewas=100000686899395&returnto=profile
Spokane_Citizen on January 29 at 9:39 p.m.
The sad reality is that many students ignore the value of acquiring training in disciplines in areas that fulfill societal needs. There’s no greater educational fallacy than ” Do what you love, and the money will follow”. While there’s certainly nothing inherently wrong with “doing what you love”, society has no obligation to treasure and reward you for something it doesn’t care about or need.
Finally, it’s not unusual for successful students to avoid entering the work world by attaining relatively esoteric graduate degrees….face it, if you’re contemplating spending years in graduate school when you’re in your 30’s….you’re just just delaying your entry into the grown-up world of working for a living. Don’t expect the rest of us to be impressed or, for that matter, consider you to be much of a potential employee.
nslopeofw on January 29 at 10:21 p.m.
Hey Blim,
Do you want to pay for the loans of all the dipsh*ts that chose stooopid degree’s? I dont.
Do you know that a large portion of the occupy wall street cry babies want us to pay back their loans for them because they chose bad degree’s?
That would be like me paying for your food stamps for the rest of your life because you think the taxpayers owe you, and you obviously dont like to work.
nslopeofw on January 30 at 12:00 a.m.
LIRWL-
I’ve included Huffpo links, and Daily Kos links. I dont care if you do. Just dont try and fool us into thinking that the daily KOS is a balanced site, or a news site. It is a blog site, just like weaselzippers. That is why i like data from both sides to prove a point.
Plus, most people would agree that Fox news is much more balanced that HuffPo, or the Keith Obermmann show. Rush Limbaugh is much more to the right that MSNBC is to the left. MSNBC leans more to the left, than Fox is leans to the right, but both can be used a legitimate news channels.
And, we all know that Bill Mahr is a stupid, jealous, ugly little man, that hates all things not like him. He is probably the most offensive POS on this earth.
Sammie on January 30 at 10:49 a.m.
Why wasn’t the ‘new’ chancellor of the Community Colleges of Spokane interviewed to provide information regarding the status of CCS in the current economy (i.e., repeated state budget cuts, increasing tuition, rising student enrollments)?
I cannot recall seeing any interview of Christine Johnson since her placement in that position 18 months ago (perhaps I missed it). Gary Livingston was interviewed several times during his tenure in that position, to keep the community updated on the status of the community colleges. He also could be heard on numerous radio interviews and periodic TV interviews.
Other local college and university presidents/chancellors have been interviewed, but not the current CCS chancellor. Does the community no longer need these status updates? Are community colleges not as important as the other local colleges/universities?
It is my opinion that current, updated information from the administration of CCS has all but dried up—is this latest position due to the Public Information Department, or the new chancellor? No matter who—the community deserves to be kept updated.
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on January 30 at 6:22 p.m.
Thanks nslope, those last two posts were hilarious!
meyerlansky on January 30 at 8:52 p.m.
In today’s world, a college degree doesn’t guarantee anything. I think that if you have a good work ethic, you will have a better chance to succeed than without one.
Having a college degree isn’t everything it was supposed to be cracked up to be.
nslopeofw on January 30 at 11:38 p.m.
Bruce-
I know! Bill Mahr is so stupid he actually thinks people watch him for his content, rather than the real reason which is how stoopid he looks every time he opens his mouth.
And, anyone who thinks Huffpo and Olbermann are anything more than lefty propaganda machines needs their head examined.
Glad to see we finally agree!!