The old excuse of Virginia colleges and universities for rising tuitions — we’re just making up for past freezes and rollbacks ordered by the General Assembly — is beginning to wear thin. Here are some numbers from a Daily Press article drawing upon a Monday report by the College Board.
The average price of community college in the United States is $2,361, compared to $2,556 in Virginia. The average price of a public four-year institution is $6,185 nationwide, compared to $7,005 in Virginia. Students attending four-year, private universities in Virginia get a break, according to the report. Across the country, tuition and fees rose 6.3 percent, to $23,712; in Virginia they rose 5 percent, to $21,454. …
The prices at four-year public universities in Virginia went up by 7 percent this year to $7,005 per year. Countrywide, students saw their fees rise by 6.6 percent to $6,185.
Bottom line: Virginia college tuitions aren’t just “catching up” with national averages — they’re surging ahead.
Question: Is there a point — any point — at which Virginia institutions of higher education will concede that they’ve made up for the freezes and rollbacks? Or will they simply charge what the market will bear as long as they can get away with it?
Update: Jeff Kraus with the Virginia Community College System notes in the comment section that the College Board report inaccurately characterizes community college tuitions in Virginia. Here is the VCCS’s response. Here’s another response on VaHigherEd.com.
