A University of which I am familiar with recently raised it’s undergraduate tuition, to $33,120 for this fall. The administration lauds the fact that tuition assistance/financial aid is increased as well, that the ‘no-loan threshold’ was raised to $80,000, and that the maximum amount of loans that entering, eligible students are required to take out over four years at $10,000, down from $14,500. This University also raised it’s financial aid budget by $10,000,000 for FY ‘11. They comment that this University didn’t start charging tuition (at ALL) until 1965, and is still $5,000 or $6,000 less than peer institutions.
If they didn’t charge prior to 1965, they’ve sure caught up quickly with the older peer institutions. Frankly, I think it makes more sense to LOWER tuition, and LOWER financial aid. If a ‘rich-kid’ can afford to come here for cheaper, perhaps they’ll consider it more of a value, and donate money after graduation. And the ‘poor kid’ can afford to, as well - without the financial trickery of tuition assistance on a higher rate.
It’s just taking money from the right pocket, and putting it in the left.
/For the first time in my life, I’m truly ashamed of my country.
The other is issue is that usually the foreign students pay full freight, and usually foreign students have rich parents who are willing to pay whatever it costs to get them an education in an American university, because it is so hard to get in Universities in their home countries.