UW–Madison’s Nicholas Hillman, a professor in the School of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, recently shared his expertise with USA Today discussing trends in college tuition.
The article, headlined “You may not need that student loan after all. Here’s the latest college tuition trend,” highlights that the net price of attending college has, in fact, declined over the past decade.
This shift contradicts the common perception that college costs are soaring out of reach, and suggests that a college education is becoming more affordable for many students.
In the article, Hillman, who is also the director of UW–Madison’s Student Success through Applied Research (SSTAR) Lab, addressed the complexities of college pricing, explaining that while tuition sticker prices may be high, they often don’t reflect the amount students actually pay due to financial aid and other discounts.
“There isn’t a uniform price that everybody pays,” he noted, comparing tuition to airfare pricing, where the final cost can vary widely.
Hillman also provided insight into why more students at public universities are graduating without debt. “State governments have been reinvesting in higher education over the last decade,” he said, stressing that this has made college more affordable for many students.
To learn more about how current economic trends are impacting college affordability, check out the full article in USA Today.