Tuition at public four-year colleges and universities increased by an average 7.9 percent this school year, according to a report released last week by the College Board.
In-state tuition at public four-year institutions now averages $7,605, a jump of $555 from the previous year, the New York City-based group found. At private nonprofit four-year colleges and universities, tuition now averages $27,293, an increase of $1,164, or about 4.5 percent over last year. Tuition at public two-year colleges is up to an average of $2,713, an increase of $155, or 6 percent.
The silver lining in the report is a surge in Pell Grants, which provided $28.2 billion in federal grant aid for 7.7 million students in 2009-10—an increase of almost $10 billion from 2008-09.
However, states are reducing support for higher education, the College Board found. Per-student state spending on higher education dropped by nearly 9 percent in 2008-09, and by 5 percent more last year.
