Monday, September 23, 2013

More Students Factor In Cost For University Selection

By Cornelius Nunev


Researchers from the University of California, LA, found in a recent study of freshman students that price is a huge factor in college selection. It should be. Tuition is going up along with debt loads and joblessness for recent graduates.

Do not forget about price

University selection is a pretty large deal. There are a lot of things to consider. Distance from home is a big one. Getting there, moving in and subsequent trips home during the holidays involves a lot of logistics. Academics are another, as one certainly doesn't want a worthless degree from a diploma mill and certain colleges are known for specializing in particular fields. Campus life is another, because quite frankly college can get uninteresting.

It can be a bad idea to pick a college that is not co-ed.

Another consideration is price. According to USA Today, a recent UCLA study found it is fast becoming the largest factor in university selection. It should be; one shouldn't pay more for a degree that's just as good somewhere cheaper.

Many have to think about it

This survey was done two years ago by UCLA researchers, and it showed 62.1 percent of respondents made the decision based on economic factors. This year, the findings increased to 66.6 percent of students. About 283 colleges and 193,000 freshmen were interviewed.

About 43.3 percent said they looked at the cost of attendance. About 9.5 percent said a lack of financial aid helped them decide while 13.4 percent said the decision had to do with it being unaffordable.

They should

The Wall Street Journal reports that the cost of tuition has increased by 13 percent since the 2007-2008 school years, and that is just at non-profit colleges. Public universities saw a 27 percent boost in the cost of tuition, according to the College Board. This is why price should be factor students consider when choosing a school.

It is also important to look at the net being paid since more colleges are offering grants and scholarships. There was really a 4 percent decrease in what students really paid out of pocket for private non-profit universities and an 18 percent increase for public colleges and universities, which is not nearly as bad as you might think. People end up taking out more loans as seniors though since most colleges offer more grants and scholarships in the beginning.

Graduates going without work

There are a ton of bonuses for people who get university education. Grads usually have a lower joblessness estimated at around 4.4 percent, according to the Huffington Post, and people are much more likely to stay in work their whole life with the job. The issue that recent graduates are dealing with is really getting the job though, according to a 2012 Atlantic article. In fact, the rate is about 53 percent for recent grads with joblessness and underemployment.

About two thirds of all graduates had student debt averaging around $26,600, according to the Project on Student Debt which did a study in 2011.

With the bad joblessness rates and students having more debt, it makes sense that they would be more concerned with the cost of school.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment