Times Orange County Poll : Worry Over College Costs Rising Along With Fees

Nearly all Orange County parents believe that a college education is critical to career success for their children, but fewer than half feel confident that they will be able to afford it, according to a Times Orange County poll.

It is not surprising that such a highly educated population--41% of adult Orange County residents have four-year degrees, contrasted with 16% nationwide--place a premium on learning. But even among the more affluent--those whose household income exceeds $60,000--more than 40% expressed doubts that they would be able to pay the bills, the survey found.

“Everything I read says college costs are rising dramatically,” said Robert Swenson, a stockbroker who lives in San Juan Capistrano. “We should be able to educate our kids, but it will be tough, especially if they go to grad school. It will involve sacrifices for all of us.”

Swenson and his wife, Yolanda, both UCLA graduates, are well-off by most standards: Their income far exceeds the county median of $45,000, and they have substantial equity in a home they bought in 1977. They also have two bright children--Robert, 10, who talks about becoming a doctor, and Stephanie, 7.

“It’s a question of juggling around assets or hitting a few investment home runs,” Robert Swenson said. “It’s likely our children will go to a public university, and more likely they will attend a year of junior college or even two years. They’re both very good students, and we’re hoping they will get scholarships somewhere.”

Such worries have increased along with annual tuition increases, according to Orange County parents who were surveyed Aug. 6 through 8 in the poll, conducted by Mark Baldassare & Associates of Irvine.

The cost of attending a four-year college or university this fall in the United States will increase an average of 7% for public institutions and 9% for private schools, outpacing inflation for the ninth consecutive year, according to the College Board.

Nationwide, the average tuition for private colleges and universities will reach $8,737 for the 1989-90 academic year, the board estimates. At public institutions, the average tuition will rise to $1,694.

‘Great Concern’

At public universities in Orange County, the total for tuition and other fees for the 1989-90 school year will range from $922 at Cal State Fullerton to $1,828 at UC Irvine. At Chapman College, a private liberal arts institution in Orange, tuition and fees will total $11,595 for the academic year. Community colleges, which have a $100-a-year tuition cap, remain a bargain.

“The poll suggests there is great concern about the escalating costs of a college education,” Baldassare said. “There is a perception that costs are high and could go higher.”

The astronomical price of housing in Orange County--the median price for a home was $255,000 in July, and only 9% of families in the county had income sufficient to buy at that price--undoubtedly figures into the financing equation, Baldassare said.

“Aside from our unique characteristics of high levels of education and high income, we also have high housing costs,” he said. “The results suggest it is difficult for many people to make the level of commitment” to college educations for their children “they feel is necessary in a community with such high housing costs.”

The large percentage of parents reporting that they have begun saving ahead of time for their children’s education is another indication of concern about rising college costs, Baldassare said.

Couple Started Trust Funds

Two out of three parents polled said they are putting money aside today. Among the parents who are themselves college graduates, the ratio was nearly three out of four.

“I think a college education is very important,” said Karen Arndt of Westminster, who was among the 90% of all respondents who rated a college degree as critical to success. “You can get a better job with a better education. That’s what I keep telling my children.”

Arndt and her husband, Craig, say they are “not likely” to be able to afford the college educations they want for their son, Chris, 12, and their daughter, Andrea, 4. Nevertheless, the couple has established trust funds toward that end. Karen Arndt is not now employed; her husband works as a laborer. Both are high school graduates.

“It’s awfully expensive to put a child through college, so we’ve been putting money away since our oldest was a baby,” she said. “I hope both of the children will go to college. We want them to have the best life possible.”

Indeed, the dream of owning a home has been put aside for the Arndt family, she said.

“We’re renting right now,” Arndt said. “We still haven’t been able to afford a house, and I don’t know if we ever will in Orange County.”

‘It Will Be a Struggle’

Linda Heitkamp of Garden Grove also fears that she and her husband will not be able to put their two children--Jenae, 10, and Gina, 8--through college. Heitkamp, who works part time as a teacher’s aide, and her husband, Jacob, an educational coordinator for a vocational school, estimate that in 10 years, it might cost $25,000 for each to put their children through a public university.

“College is extremely important and totally out of reach,” said Heitkamp, who has a two-year degree from Long Beach City College and whose husband is a Cal State Long Beach graduate. “I know it will be a struggle, but I feel it’s worth it. I don’t know what we will do.”

At 3, Christiana Porter’s primary interest seems to be eating and finger painting, according to her father, Sam Porter Jr. He and his wife, Debra, hope to be able to help when she is ready to explore other ambitions, but they have been unable to save for a college fund.

“I think college is very critical to get ahead,” said Sam Porter, a mason who hopes to take law enforcement training to become a police officer. “But there’s no way we could ever send our daughter to a private school. And even a public university will run quite a bit when she is old enough.

“We’re unable to save anything now. I don’t know what we will do when our daughter is college-age.”

How the Poll Was Conducted

The Times Orange County Poll consisted of interviews with 600 adult county residents. It was conducted Aug. 6 through 8 on weekend days and weekday nights using a random sample of listed and unlisted telephone numbers.

The margin of error for a sample of this size is plus or minus 4%. For subgroups, the margin of error is higher. The margin of error for a subgroup such as the 200 parents with children in school, for example, is plus or minus 7%.

All respondents were guaranteed anonymity. Some respondents, however, agreed to be interviewed again later for news stories on the poll.

The poll was conducted by Mark Baldassare & Associates of Irvine.

THE TIMES ORANGE COUNTY POLL College Education “How important do you consider a college education for your children?” (Asked only of those with children in school):

Very Somewhat Not Important Important Important Total Parents 90% 9% 1% By Education Level College Grad 96 4 0 Non-College Grad 85 13 2 By Income Under $60,000 87 11 2 $60,000 or More 94 6 0

“Are you currently setting aside money for your children’s college education, such as paying into a special savings account?” (Asked only of those with children in school):

Yes No Total Parents 66% 34% By Education Level College Grad 72 28 Non-College Grad 61 39 By Yearly Income Under $60,000 63 37 $60,000 or More 72 28

“How likely is it that you will be able to afford the college education that you think your children will need?” (Asked only of those with children in school):

Very Somewhat Not Don’t Likely Likely Likely Know Total Parents 40% 47% 12% 1% By Education Level College Grad 50 41 8 1 Non-College Grad 35 50 15 0 By Yearly Income Under $60,000 30 50 18 2 $60,000 or More 58 40 2 0 By Saving Currently Saving 52 44 4 0 Not Saving 19 52 27 2

Note: Results may not add up to 100% because of rounding. THE HIGH COST OF COLLEGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS Average for public institutions nationwide: $1,694 Cal State Fullerton: $922 Texas A&M; University: $1,200 UC Berkeley*: $1,672 UC San Diego*: $1,767 UC Irvine*: $1,828 University of Missouri: $1,838 PRIVATE SCHOOLS Average for private institutions nationwide:$8,737 Christ College, Irvine: $7,065 Southern Methodist University: $9,880 Chapman College, Orange: $11,595 Northwestern University: $12,996 Brown University**: $14,920 * Tuition is standard at UC campuses, but student fees vary. ** Brown reported the highest 1989-90 rates of any university in the country Sources: College Board; university admissions offices