In an attempt to lessen his financial burden, Ball State University sophomore Ben Galvin attended Ivy Tech before transferring to Ball State.
"Even though I began studying at Ivy Tech, I still expect to be in debt when I graduate," he said.
Galvin is not alone in the struggle to pay for college. Tuition for four-year public colleges and universities rose 6.3 percent from 2005 to 2006, according to a study recently released by College Board.
Ball State University's tuition increased 5.6 percent, from $6,030 to $6,360 for in-state students. It increased 6.0 percent, from $15,790 to $16,736 for out-of-state students.
Galvin said he doesn't have a problem with the rising tuition rates and thought they were justified because universities have to pay professors.
Approximately 76 percent of the university's budget goes to personnel costs, Tom Kinghorn, vice president for Business Affairs and treasurer, said. About 7 percent is spent on financial aid, he said.
"We set an institutional priority to increase financial aid," he said.
Ball State offers aid to approximately 70 percent of the undergraduate population, Kinghorn said.
Students get aid from merit scholarships, Pell Grants and state aid, Kinghorn said. One problem with tuition increases is scholarship and grant money has not increased as fast as tuition, Robert Zellers, director of scholarships and financial aid, said.
The Pell Grant, the primary grant for need-based aid, has not increased since the 2003-2004 school year, he said. The maximum award given is $4,050 and since federal aid rates are not changing it is difficult for the university to assemble aid packets for students, he said.
The Higher Education Act, passed in 1965, provides all federal financial aid to students, Zellers said. HEA is supposed to be renewed every five years, he said, but Congress recently made changes.
While the maximum award of the Pell Grant wasn't increased, Congress created two new grants to give to Pell recipients, Zellers said. The Academic Competitiveness and National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent grants are methods of expanding the scope of the Pell to distribute money based on merit, he said.
"It's kind of interesting how they didn't really increase the Pell but did find a way to get some money to some students," Zellers said.
Following the elections and appointments of congressional members, Zellers said he hoped Congress would take strides toward significantly increasing Pell grants.
"Compared to other university's fees, at least among the MAC and other regional schools, our tuition is not at the high-end [and provides] a comparable kind of experience," Kinghorn said.
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