We just got informed our tuition/fees bill might go up by almost 25% IS next year alone (LSU), mostly due to 'state budgetary shortfalls precipitated by the current economic climate.' Is this happening all over the country? Arrrgghhhhh. I understand that times are tough but taking it out on the already poverty plagued students is sad. Yeah our tuition was kind of low to start (a little over 12500) but we don't make as much money down here in the south so it was actually a comparatively equal chunk out of a family's budget.....
Economic Crisis = Tuition Hike????
- Thread starter Crawfish
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We were just informed our in-state tuition is going to rise by 20%, too. The state of Tennessee is facing a huge budget shortfall, and so UT is something like 2 million short of where they "need" to be. It was explained in an email that our out-of-staters already pay a comparatively high tuition, so the school doesn't feel it can ask more from them. However, we in-staters apparently pay a comparatively low tuition (something like in the lowest 8, $$ wise) so that's where the money is going to have to come from.
I wrote to the Dean asking him if our financial aid eligibility would reflect the change, because many people are barely making it on what they get now, over an above tuition, and we aren't exactly under-scheduled, so working is going to become more difficult as we enter 3rd year and impossible in 4th year. He wrote me right back telling me that financial aid would indeed take the new expenses into account.
So while it SUCKS for me, I DO understand the money has to come from somewhere. If the state won't pony up money to support the school, well, the students kind of have to. The alternative is not to have a vet school.
I wrote to the Dean asking him if our financial aid eligibility would reflect the change, because many people are barely making it on what they get now, over an above tuition, and we aren't exactly under-scheduled, so working is going to become more difficult as we enter 3rd year and impossible in 4th year. He wrote me right back telling me that financial aid would indeed take the new expenses into account.
So while it SUCKS for me, I DO understand the money has to come from somewhere. If the state won't pony up money to support the school, well, the students kind of have to. The alternative is not to have a vet school.
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I would not be surprised if VMRCVM tuition went up significantly in the near future. Both states have been on state-wide hiring freezes for govt employees, although I'm not sure what the status is at the moment. My dad is in the MD university system, and their budget has been cut multiple times in the past few years, along with undergrad tuition increases. At least in MD, there are so many programs, like K-12 education and others, that have legislatively mandated minimum funding levels that higher education is one of the first on the chopping block whenever the budget goes downhill. I'm not commenting on the merits of these decisions, just saying that higher education is feeling the squeeze in the mid-Atlantic.
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That sucks to have to deal with that. Fortunately for us over here, we have a locked in tuition rate (for at least the first 3 years). Our 4th and 5th year should almost be the same except for some extra 'fees' tacked on.
Don't know if there will be a tuition hike or not for the incoming class(es), I suspect that there won't be much of one as Australia is doing fairly better off than most countries with the economic crisis.
CritterFixer, I can almost guarantee that your increase will be calculated into your financial aid packages. That happens in undergrad all the time, or at least it did at UF for me every year almost. It would be really unlikely (and crappy) for them not to increase your loan allowances.
Don't know if there will be a tuition hike or not for the incoming class(es), I suspect that there won't be much of one as Australia is doing fairly better off than most countries with the economic crisis.
CritterFixer, I can almost guarantee that your increase will be calculated into your financial aid packages. That happens in undergrad all the time, or at least it did at UF for me every year almost. It would be really unlikely (and crappy) for them not to increase your loan allowances.
Okay, but this is what burns me up -- the tuition for LSU Medical and Dental programs (and the undergraduate programs) -- all of which have loads more students are all apparantly only going up by 5%. The state subsidizes all of these programs too, and I understand budget cuts are necessary, but why are the comparatively few (actually ridiculously small number, relatively speaking) number of veterinary students being asked to foot an incomparable load of the debt? It's infuriating. Even if they wanted to hike vet students' tuitions more, 25% in one year is outrageous. 5% is expected, 10% would be sobering but manageable, 25% is just bull****. Especially given that doctors and dentists make so much more money than we will.....
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You said it *might* go up "by as much as" 25%, so maybe the increase won't be so large?
And while I know that this doesn't change how much it stinks that you have to pay more than you were expecting, man I would love to have tuition at my IS be $15625 (=1.25*12500). Mine is more than twice that, and I really doubt I'll make twice what you do when I graduate!
Here's hoping they were just preparing you for the worst with the 25%, and it actually ends up being much less.
And while I know that this doesn't change how much it stinks that you have to pay more than you were expecting, man I would love to have tuition at my IS be $15625 (=1.25*12500). Mine is more than twice that, and I really doubt I'll make twice what you do when I graduate!
Here's hoping they were just preparing you for the worst with the 25%, and it actually ends up being much less.
