2008 Woodie Awards
Lakeland has fourth lowest tuition increase in state
A look at college costs and how they're being met
Joel Nisleit
Issue date: 4/3/03 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Lakeland College has one of the lowest rates of cumulative tuition rise in Wisconsin, staying lower than all but three schools, according to public data.
Over the last eight years, Lakeland has managed to keep its cumulative rise of tuition (plus room and board) to 32.5 percent. MSOE holds the highest cumulative change at 70.3 percent since 1995, according to data from the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.
For the 2002-2003 year the actual cost of tuition, room and board at Lakeland was $19,150, the fifth lowest in Wisconsin. The least expensive private college in Wisconsin is currently Alverno, whose tuition is $17,380 per year (including room and board).
Lakeland's tuition rate for fall 2003 (without room and board) will be $14,325 per year or $7,162 per semester; the current rate is $13,835 per year or $6,917 per semester.
Most Lakeland students don't pay the full tuition price, though there are a few who do. Many receive state, federal, or Lakeland financial aid. But $14,325 is still a large chunk of money.
"I think that most students would like to have even higher levels of amenities, an education that was more fun to obtain, would last a lifetime and was much less expensive," said Lakeland President Stephen Gould. "What we are doing at Lakeland is providing more technology, more comfortable living and eating options, a more durable education, better facilities...even while we keep the price increases lower than most other schools."
Gould listed some examples of how Lakeland keeps costs down, such as buying items in bulk with other colleges to save money.
Lakeland loses about $2,200 per student, yet the college has managed to balance its budget for the past 31 years, said Gould. Lakeland remains a non-profit organization because surplus money from donations is never distributed as income to anyone; it's put back into the college.
College costs rise along with the costs of items like food and equipment, and the college has to pay faculty income.
Many families find themselves in a situation where their income is too great to receive grants, but too low to pay for college completely. Gould recognized that problem and said such families often receive financial aid from Lakeland and have an easier time getting loans. But in the next few years, he said, affording college could be much more difficult if families don't have a college savings plan.
Nationally, the average cost of a year at a four-year private college (tuition and fees) was $18,273 for the 2002-2003 year, according to College Board. One year at a four-year public education costs $4,081 on average.
As reported by the U.S. Census Bureau, the average family income was $42,228 as of 2001. To qualify for a federal PELL grant-that's money you don't have to pay back-the government uses the following formula: the difference between the cost of attendance and expected family contribution equals financial need. Any costs left over equal the financial need. But PELL grants have been shown to help mainly truly poor people.
There's still much non-government aid to be had. One way for anyone to find scholarship opportunities is www.fastweb.com. After a brief registration, users can browse dozens of awards tailored to their situation.
"There are a great many scholarship opportunities available" at Lakeland, said Gould. "Lakeland also raises funds every year to support scholarships that the College can award (to students who qualify)."
Just what value does college provide? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics article "College at work: Outlook and earnings for college graduates, 2000-10" there are several benefits to a degree, including more career options, better promotion opportunities, higher earnings, and lower unemployment.
Surveys, such as those conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, continue to show correlation between college degrees and higher income. For example, the BLS shows the median weekly incomes (for 2000) were $507 with a high school diploma; $834 with bachelor's degree; $983 with a master's degree; $1,174 with a professional degree; and $1,214 with a doctoral degree.
Some with secondary or post-secondary education are still unemployed, but studies show unemployment decreases with higher degrees. For example, 3.5 percent of those with a high school diploma are unemployed; 1.8 percent with a bachelor's degree; master's degree, 1.6 percent; professional degree, 0.9 percent; and doctoral degree, 0.9 percent, according to the BLS.
College Board is a non-profit membership organization composed of more than 4,300 educational institutions and organizations. It provides key public information about Lakeland and colleges in general, such as tuition costs and financial aid distribution.
For more public information on Lakeland College, write to Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, 122 W. Washington Avenue, Suite 700, Madison, WI 53703-2718.
Over the last eight years, Lakeland has managed to keep its cumulative rise of tuition (plus room and board) to 32.5 percent. MSOE holds the highest cumulative change at 70.3 percent since 1995, according to data from the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.
For the 2002-2003 year the actual cost of tuition, room and board at Lakeland was $19,150, the fifth lowest in Wisconsin. The least expensive private college in Wisconsin is currently Alverno, whose tuition is $17,380 per year (including room and board).
Lakeland's tuition rate for fall 2003 (without room and board) will be $14,325 per year or $7,162 per semester; the current rate is $13,835 per year or $6,917 per semester.
Most Lakeland students don't pay the full tuition price, though there are a few who do. Many receive state, federal, or Lakeland financial aid. But $14,325 is still a large chunk of money.
"I think that most students would like to have even higher levels of amenities, an education that was more fun to obtain, would last a lifetime and was much less expensive," said Lakeland President Stephen Gould. "What we are doing at Lakeland is providing more technology, more comfortable living and eating options, a more durable education, better facilities...even while we keep the price increases lower than most other schools."
Gould listed some examples of how Lakeland keeps costs down, such as buying items in bulk with other colleges to save money.
Lakeland loses about $2,200 per student, yet the college has managed to balance its budget for the past 31 years, said Gould. Lakeland remains a non-profit organization because surplus money from donations is never distributed as income to anyone; it's put back into the college.
College costs rise along with the costs of items like food and equipment, and the college has to pay faculty income.
Many families find themselves in a situation where their income is too great to receive grants, but too low to pay for college completely. Gould recognized that problem and said such families often receive financial aid from Lakeland and have an easier time getting loans. But in the next few years, he said, affording college could be much more difficult if families don't have a college savings plan.
Nationally, the average cost of a year at a four-year private college (tuition and fees) was $18,273 for the 2002-2003 year, according to College Board. One year at a four-year public education costs $4,081 on average.
As reported by the U.S. Census Bureau, the average family income was $42,228 as of 2001. To qualify for a federal PELL grant-that's money you don't have to pay back-the government uses the following formula: the difference between the cost of attendance and expected family contribution equals financial need. Any costs left over equal the financial need. But PELL grants have been shown to help mainly truly poor people.
There's still much non-government aid to be had. One way for anyone to find scholarship opportunities is www.fastweb.com. After a brief registration, users can browse dozens of awards tailored to their situation.
"There are a great many scholarship opportunities available" at Lakeland, said Gould. "Lakeland also raises funds every year to support scholarships that the College can award (to students who qualify)."
Just what value does college provide? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics article "College at work: Outlook and earnings for college graduates, 2000-10" there are several benefits to a degree, including more career options, better promotion opportunities, higher earnings, and lower unemployment.
Surveys, such as those conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, continue to show correlation between college degrees and higher income. For example, the BLS shows the median weekly incomes (for 2000) were $507 with a high school diploma; $834 with bachelor's degree; $983 with a master's degree; $1,174 with a professional degree; and $1,214 with a doctoral degree.
Some with secondary or post-secondary education are still unemployed, but studies show unemployment decreases with higher degrees. For example, 3.5 percent of those with a high school diploma are unemployed; 1.8 percent with a bachelor's degree; master's degree, 1.6 percent; professional degree, 0.9 percent; and doctoral degree, 0.9 percent, according to the BLS.
College Board is a non-profit membership organization composed of more than 4,300 educational institutions and organizations. It provides key public information about Lakeland and colleges in general, such as tuition costs and financial aid distribution.
For more public information on Lakeland College, write to Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, 122 W. Washington Avenue, Suite 700, Madison, WI 53703-2718.