If you thought gas was expensive, try going to a Minnesota state college or university. The brains in charge are raising tuition by 3.5%. That’s not a positive equation at all.
Here’s Five Fast Facts on Minnesota’s College Tuition Increase:
- ✏️Economics 101 - Tuition is increasing by $181 for two-year students and $294 for university students. That means the average tuition cost for state schools is now $5,458 and $8,685 for universities. This is ONLY for one semester. It does not factor into the actual bonkers cost of attendance.
- 🎓Bad Math - The trustees say it’s due to inflation and a decline in student enrollment. It almost seems like enrollment is decreasing (it dropped 5.4% two years ago and then ANOTHER 6.8% last year) because college is so expensive. Weird.
- 📓Log On - One place where it is dropping? Online courses. At St. Cloud State, online classes cost 6.1% less and they’re 9% less at Southwest Minnesota State. Apparently remote learning does work despite what some people have been insisting since the start of the pandemic.
- 📚Plus One - Only one trustee was against the increase, saying it would further hurt enrollment. Sounds like he was the smart one in the room.
- 🪩Debate Team - One trustee actually had the… stones… to dismissively tell students to take their concerns to the state legislature themselves, pointing that the board already asked and was shot down.
🔥Bottom line: The system is broken. Online courses are quickly becoming the most affordable method of getting a higher education. It also appears those in charge aren’t interested in finding solutions. It’s another case where voting (and knowing who you are voting for and what they represent) can make a difference. Otherwise, college will be unaffordable.
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