In the past two decades, the cost of higher education has gone up by about 250 percent, says National Public Radio, NPR.org. At least 39 states have cut funding for universities or increased tuition rates, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a think tank cited in The Economist on March 11, 2010.
More than half of college degree recipients will go into debt in order to finish school, says NPR. The tuition increases have been blamed on states trying to find their way out of a financial meltdown during the economic crisis, according to msnbc.com.
Florida lawmakers expect a 15 percent increase in college tuition rates for next year, says msnbc.com. Tuition for Florida state schools are expected to continue to increase in the coming years until tuition reaches the national average.
California universities have passed tuition increases upwards of 30 percent from 2009 to 2010, says NBC. They have also cut back on offerings to students. For example, California State University will cut enrollment by 20,000 students in the next academic year due to a loss of 20 percent of state funding, according to The Economist.
Arizona universities voted to increase tuition for college students at all three of the state universities in 2010, according to an article on ABC.com. The University of Arizona will increase tuition by 20 percent, Northern Arizona University by 16 percent and Arizona State university by 19 percent.
Public universities aren't alone in raising the cost of going to college. Some private universities have also voted to step up tuition costs. Yale has approved a decision to increase fees by 5 percent by next year, to nearly $49,800, according to The Economist.
On a number of campuses throughout the country, students have protested tuition hikes. Students and educators have rallied in California and other states against increases in state university tuition. The protests are reminiscent of the 1960s student movement. On March 4, 2010, students from more than 100 campuses and 30 states protested, calling on state legislators to halt recent tuition hikes, according to The Economist.