<p>Why is tuition so high everywhere? Has cost dramatically increased in recent years at some schools? For example, I was looking at tuition for Boulder from 2000-2001 and it said that out-of-state was roughly $10,000, whereas now it is listed as being in the $20,000's (I don't know if the information I found was at all correct, but I'm just using an example). Why has tuition increased so much (if it has)?
Do people considered middle class/upper middle class (not sure who fits into what catagory) ever receive very much financial aid? If so, about how much on average? Thanks.</p>
<p>im guessing political events. war in iraq has cut funding in public schools.</p>
<p>just a comment: Many out of state public school's tuition and low ranking private school's tuitions aren't significantly less than Harvard's. Anyone else see a problem with that?</p>
<p>lol, thats kind of funny! ur not getting ur money's worth...thats what i see!</p>
<p>For the past 25 years, tuition increases have usually been higher than the rate of inflation. For many years the usual explanation was increased costs for such things as salaries, buildings, maintenance, lab equipment, etc. For the past 3 years, the increases at public universities (which for some have been 20% or higher increases per year) have been due mainly to state budget cuts -- the state legislatures have either been decreasing or not raising at all the amount of funding provided for public universities because they just don't have the money to do so since most states have huge deficits that they are trying to deal with. Those deficits are partly the result of bad economic conditions during that time -- high unemployment leading to less taxes collected and more for unemployed paid out, investments that decreased in value, the state's having to pay for things because the fed government cut spending or did not supply it (example, for Bush's infamous no child left behind law). Financial aid provided depends on what is deemed need under FAFSA and then by the school itself. Generalizing as to "middle class" or "upper middle class" is hard to do since it depends on each family's particular situation but usually if your family is making $90,000 or more per year, it will find fairly slim to no pickings for need-based aid.</p>