American college students are paying more of the cost to obtain a degree while government funding has decreased by $6.6 billion over ten years. At the same time, many schools across the country are increasing illegal students' access to government aid.
Since 2008, states have spent $1,220, or 13 percent less on average per student while annual published tuition at four-year colleges has increased by nearly $3,000, or 37 percent. In 41 states, average tuition increased by more than 20 percent. Seven states saw average tuition increase by over 60 percent, according to a
recent report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
This comes as several public colleges and universities have recently offered financial resources to illegal immigrant and DACA students.
The University of California-Berkeley also provides financial aid for illegal immigrant students, while Colorado public institutions like the University of Colorado-Denver provide illegal immigrant students access to state-funded aid.
State Higher Education Funding Cuts Have Pushed Costs to Students, Worsened Inequality, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, October 24, 2019:
Raised tuition. Annual published tuition at four-year public colleges has risen by $2,708, or 37 percent, since the 2008 school year.[5] In Louisiana, published tuition at four-year schools has doubled, while in seven other states — Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, and Hawaii — published tuition is up more than 60 percent....
Average Net Price of Attendance at a Public Four-Year University as a Share of Median Household Income, by Race, 2017
State Overall White, Non-Hispanic Black Hispanic Asian
Colorado 24% 22% 32%* 32%* 21%
