More Tuition Hikes For Auburn

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

http://www.al.com/ne...#incart_m-rpt-2

Over the past five years, tuition at Auburn has increased 41.3 percent. At Alabama, tuition jumped 35 percent.

Over the past 10 years, the numbers are even more startling, as costs for students have roughly doubled since 2004. Auburn's tuition has increased 94 percent while Alabama's has gone up 106 percent.

[RunInRed 16,994]

Those numbers are staggering. Geesh ... when is enough, enough?

[AUFAN78 4,061]

Praying for an upcoming full ride!

[cptau 169]

public universities have lost some state funding, but their increases expenses are the real reason for the tuition increases. Salaries for the faculties are up, there are many more administrators, more degree programs some of which may not paying their own way, student services that did not used to exist or were smaller in scope such a personal counseling, etc.... The Universities knowing that the government will loan more money to students to pay the increased tuition does not help. Thus they have no incentive to cut costs and reduce tuition.

[AUTUmike 79]

I had a discussion with an Auburn econ professor a few years ago in which he mentioned that Auburn privatizing was the direction things were headed. I see the trend (tuition increases, charitable donation increases, and reduced public funding) but I doubt it will ever be allowed to go towards a true private institution. Interesting to think about though.

[cptau 169]

I had a discussion with an Auburn econ professor a few years ago in which he mentioned that Auburn privatizing was the direction things were headed. I see the trend (tuition increases, charitable donation increases, and reduced public funding) but I doubt it will ever be allowed to go towards a true private institution. Interesting to think about though.

That sounds like what Penn State is. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_System_of_Higher_Education

PSU is a state related university. Only 10% of its funding come from the state and it has an independent board so it functions more like a private school and it has much higher tuition too. That actually may have been a factor in the recent Penn State scandal as their board is independent and is not appointed by the governor.

[autigeremt 6,970]

We are still 90 million dollars in the rears from where we would have been if the economy hadn't crashed. This year we saw a .07% increase in state appropriations...the first such increase since pro-ration began. We are "expected" to see a 5% increase next year if the economy is where it's projected to be in the state for fiscal year 2015.

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

I don't have the link now but I just read where the presidents of Auburn and bama just got huge raises. I can tell you from experience that AU doesn't know how to cut costs. The just raise tuition. I was on an Engineering Advisory Committee for years and every time I suggested taking a hard look at cutting costs, AU officials (Deans, Profs, etc) thought I was crazy. I guarantee you from my work experience,I could cut enough costs at AU to LOWER tuition.

[ertrader 209]

public universities have lost some state funding, but their increases expenses are the real reason for the tuition increases. Salaries for the faculties are up, there are many more administrators, more degree programs some of which may not paying their own way, student services that did not used to exist or were smaller in scope such a personal counseling, etc.... The Universities knowing that the government will loan more money to students to pay the increased tuition does not help. Thus they have no incentive to cut costs and reduce tuition.

Actually faculty salaries have only risen about 5% over the last five years (5% total, not 5% per year). I can't speak to administrators.

Tuition isn't immune to supply/demand, Auburn is going to charge what people are willing/able to pay.

We shouldn't worry about these kinds of things though, we are constantly assured that inflation is dangerously low.

[homersapien 11,812]

Interesting graph:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/18/college-tuition-unaffordable-growth-median-income_n_5505653.html

What makes college tuition more expensive? Americans' flatlining incomes.

A new chart made by our friends at FindTheBest shows not only has college tuition grown significantly faster than inflation, health care costs or the price of food, but higher education has gotten much more expensive due to a stagnant median income in the United States.

[autigeremt 6,970]

I don't have the link now but I just read where the presidents of Auburn and bama just got huge raises. I can tell you from experience that AU doesn't know how to cut costs. The just raise tuition. I was on an Engineering Advisory Committee for years and every time I suggested taking a hard look at cutting costs, AU officials (Deans, Profs, etc) thought I was crazy. I guarantee you from my work experience,I could cut enough costs at AU to LOWER tuition.

That's not the full view but I can't relay some of the information I have (as a sitting member of the Budget Advisory Committee). I can tell you that AU is on the verge of changing its budget model that will change a lot of the dynamics on campus. For years the departments got a lump sum of money to use for whatever it needed. In the near future departments and units alike will be allocated funds based on criteria including performance and inter-departmental partnerships.

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

autigerment....agreed. My view was just of the School of Engineering but from hat I have seen it is pretty obvious costs could be cut across the board. Budget reform sounds like appositive step. Maybe they have one that I'm but aware of but a mean CFO would be good too.