Why Georgia colleges cost more

Five fast facts
Less state support, per student, for the university system, rising fees and tuition have pushed the cost of college up more than 77 percent in about 11 years in Georgia. (Photo/GSU)

Less state support, per student, for the university system, rising fees and tuition have pushed the cost of college up more than 77 percent in about 11 years in Georgia. (Photo/GSU)

The cost of college in Georgia has risen quickly in the last decade, causing students and families problems from graduating with large loans to forcing students to drop out.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution took at look at the problem in our Sunday paper.

Here are five fast facts about why costs have risen and the effects:

1.  The average cost of attending a University System of Georgia school increased from $8,361 to $14,791 a year, a 77 percent increase, during a 10-year stretch.

2. During that same stretch, appropriations for the University System of Georgia declined from $8,312 to $7,024 per student.

3. During that time period, HOPE scholarships also declined in amounts given per student.

4. Last week, the Georgia Board of Regents voted to increase tuition by 2 percent at UGA and more than two dozen other schools this fall. Other fees, though, stayed about the same at most schools.

5.  About one in three of the University System of Georgia’s 320,000 students during the 2014-15 school year had unmet financial need totaling $808 million, even after receiving subsidized loans, experts say.

Read the full story about rising college costs and how some students and colleges are trying to deal with them at myAJC.com.