In March, along with other schools in the state, the University of Utah announced tuition hikes that will go into effect in the fall. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, the hikes amount to a total increase of $318, a 3.4% increase. This increase is on top of the already expensive average tuition price, which is $9,315 for in-state students. The majority of Skyline graduates attend the University of Utah—though some matriculate to out-of-state schools, BYU, etc.—and these high prices are directly affecting the up-and-coming Juniors and Seniors, leaving them wondering how they are going to afford their future education along with the rest of their expenses.
Some students wonder why these universities need so much money from them. Is it absolutely essential to their ability to function that students pay $10,000 every year for their education? Kiana Reid, a Junior at Skyline High School who is planning on attending the University of Utah in the future, said, “It’s kind of hard to know where all that money is going, so it’s hard to understand that aspect of why they’re charging so much. I still think it’s unreasonable for kids straight out of highschool, straight out of their parent’s house, with minimum wage jobs, to pay so much for tuition and often housing on top of that.”
Prices across the board for universities all over the nation seem to be rising, with the most expensive tuition prices amounting to around $60,000 every single year at prestigious institutions, and that’s just for undergraduate studies. If students want to attend graduate school afterwards, such as medical school or law school, they could realistically end up with over $200,000 of debt when they’re only in their twenties. Thomas Middleton, a Skyline graduate and Sophomore student attending the University of Utah and majoring in Chinese and Premedical, said, “I went to college a year before I left for a mission, and when I came back, I swear it is more expensive than it used to be. I would say my tuition increased by maybe a fourth or fifth of what it used to be. And especially me, because I want to go to medical school after I get my undergrad, it will be very expensive. I’m super stressed on how I will pay for it all.”
Paying to attend college has become an exorbitant burden on today’s youth. Nobody wants to worry about paying tens of thousands in tuition prices while also focusing on their studies and resume. Nobody wants to start their career while being hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. For those who hope to graduate university without this significant detriment, Middleton suggested, “My advice for those wanting to go to college is apply for as many scholarships as you can, even the small ones because even if it is only a small amount, anything helps, and if you get enough, they can add up to a lot.” Aside from that, students can also work for companies like Starbucks or Walmart, which will pay your for their employee’s college tuition, if they work a certain number of hours. Though, working a job and studying for a degree simultaneously certainly isn’t ideal.
Even though there is some financial support from certain companies, that doesn’t completely make up for how much these colleges are charging these students who are just barely adults. It’s making some students believe that higher education is just for the wealthy. Xavier Flowers, a Junior at Skyline High School who is applying to the University of Utah, said, “While the middle and upper class can make due with the fees, the high rates are affecting the lower class, making them not able to finish their education, let alone pay off their student debts.”
But there’s hope. Universities, while raising their prices, are also offering increasingly generous financial aid programs. Prestigious institutions, such as Harvard University, are increasing the scope of their financial aid programs, making tuition completely free for students whose families earn less than $200,000 a year. The University of Utah itself is also making an effort to decrease the financial burden of families sending their children to college. The University of Utah’s President Taylor Randall said, due to scholarships and financial aid, in-state students only end up having to pay half of the total price of tuition due to scholarships and financial aid. Students can estimate how much they’ll benefit from these programs by searching for a university’s net price calculator on the Internet and entering their financial information. The United States federal government mandates that all American universities have net price calculators available on their websites, precisely for this reason.
Some students have hope, even though paying for college is daunting. Reid said, “Even though the price of universities are so high, it doesn’t mean you don’t have options. As long as you try to apply for all these different things, you can try to beat the system of college student loan debt.”
