Preparing for the 2016 legislative session of the Georgia General Assembly, the state auditor prepared a report on the rising costs of college.
The report details why college costs have gone up 77 percent in a decade in Georgia.
Among some of the reasons are:
A cost shift from the state to students and parents because of an effective decrease in state funding per student of $2,448, adjusted for inflation, as state appropriations failed to keep up with growing student enrollment.
To make up for some of those losses, the University System increased fees of $2,069 per student to keep pace with the “loss” of appropriations.
Also, average awards from HOPE scholarships decreased $1,087 a year.
Institutions increased facility fees by an average of $286 per school year. The fees pay for facilities such as stadiums, recreation centers, parking decks and student centers.
Athletic fees, which pay for sports programs, grew by an average of $132 per school year.
The auditor’s report shows college in Georgia is still more affordable than other states.
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