 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
||
|
More students are preparing for higher education, and enrollment demand in many states is growing, but the rising price of college could make higher education inaccessible for many. From 1980 to 2000, the cost of attending college (tuition + expenses) nationally grew much faster than either inflation or family income. Affordability is of particular concern for the lowest income Americans. Despite almost no statewide need-based aid program, Utah has been able to maintain a relatively affordable higher education system compared to the rest of the nation by keeping tuition relatively low. The National Center's 2002 report Losing Ground demonstrates that tuition growth in Utah during the 1990s did not significantly outpace growth in family income as it did in many states: From 1992 to 2001, tuition increased by 7% at two-year colleges and 16% at four-year colleges in the state. Family income during the same time grew by 14%.
Measuring Up 2004 shows Utah as having made little progress in its affordability measures over the past decade. With little investment in need-based financial aid, the state has relied on low tuition to maintain a low (relative to other states) share of family income needed to attend public or private institutions in the state. As we will discuss later in the case study, recent increases in tuition may begin to alter this statistic.
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
