California’s Skyrocketing College Tuition
While inflation has been at a relatively low 3.6% for most goods and services, it has been skyrocketing in several key sectors, particularly healthcare and college education. Across the nation, average college and university tuition and fees have increased 8.3% this fall, according to the Los Angeles Times, while in California, the increase was 21%, nearly four times the national average.
For students considering getting their general ed requirements out of the way at cheaper community colleges, fees in California have increased 37%. While this is a dramatic hike, particularly for low income students who had carefully budgeted based on last year’s fees, the $1,119 they must now pay each year is still a discount compared to the $3,288 students pay at two-year colleges in the rest of the country.
While some argue that students can pay for much of this with grants, scholarships and loans,