Student debt grows as tuition increases

As universities struggle to keep tuition affordable and academic programs running, students struggle to afford the cost.And as tuition goes up, so does debt.
Clemson University increased tuition 4.5 percent for in-state students and 7.5 percent for out-of-state students Thursday as it grappled with a loss of $45.7 million in state and endowment funds. Also, the university cut 452 positions to help offset its budget loss.
The university's board of trustees adopted a strategic plan after months of trying to find methods of keeping tuition hikes reasonable for students while maintaining the quality of academic programs, Clemson President James Barker said.
The increased tuition — $234 more a semester for in-state students — will offset about a third of the lost funding, the school said. Total tuition for residents will be $11,576 a year, while non-residents will pay $25,886.
Abby Daniel, undergraduate student body president, said students “appreciate that the (tuition) number has been kept as low as it has.” She said she also is pleased that students next year won't have to worry about classes being cut or teachers being gone.
Russ Williams, a Greenville resident and a senior in mechanical engineering, said, “Fortunately it's just a single-digit increase. That's a month of rent.”
He said the increase wasn't a huge deal, and “I won't stress over it.”
He pays for his tuition with two scholarships, including the Life Scholarship, with an engineering bonus, and a pre-paid college fund, which ran out in two years.
Courtney Dixon, a sophomore from Lexington, said she is lucky to have scholarships and student grants, but she also needs student loans as well as her parents' help to have money for college.
“A tuition increase is not something to be happy about,” she said, especially with the weak economy.

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