NATION : College Fee Hikes Moderating
The decade-long surge in college costs is moderating slightly this fall with average tuitions heading just 5% to 9% higher, according to a College Board survey released today.
Total annual costs at the priciest private schools will exceed $21,000.
Still, the annual survey had welcome news for at least some beleaguered students and parents: Tuition and fees at two-year public colleges will rise an average of 5% to $842, a bit under the current 5.9% rate of inflation.
That is a rarity in a decade in which college costs have consistently exceeded the nation’s overall inflation rate--a fact that has led critics like former U.S. Education Secretary William Bennett to sharply question college management.
At their worst, costs at both public and private institutions rose in double digits from 1981 through 1984. Rates at four-year public colleges shot up 20% in 1983-84 before beginning to level off.
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