Education
Auditor’s report, college costs up 77 percent in a decade
Georgia costs still lower on average than other states
May 13, 2016 Athens, GA: Students filled the University of Georgia's Sanford Stadium Friday for their graduation commencement. American Idol host Ryan Seacrest delivered the commencement address and received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree. Seacrest grew up in Dunwoody and attended UGA briefly before pursuing a broadcasting career.
More than 5,500 graduates were eligible to participate in the ceremony. INSIDE: Senior injured in crash moved to rehab facility, B2. BRANT SANDERLIN/BSANDERLIN@AJC.COM
A review of rising college costs in Georgia by the state auditor shows parents and students are shouldering more of the costs over the past decade.
Here are some highlights from the report:
- The average yearly cost of attending a state university grew from $8,361 in 2006 to $14,791 in 2016
- The average HOPE scholarship decreased 22 percent
- Nearly all universities in the system have increased fees to cover costs of everything from athletic programs to paying for facilities such as new student centers
- The state legislature failed to appropriate enough money to keep up with enrollment growth, leading to an essential decrease in amount of money per student educated
About the Author
Christopher Quinn is a writer and editor who has worked for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 1999. He writes stories on Veterans Affairs, business including high-tech growth in metro Atlanta, Georgia's $72 billion farm economy, and he oversees assigning and editing news obituaries.
