Students today are getting an increasingly raw deal. The recession has affected young people across the board. Graduating students must contend with serious job shortages across almost all industries, while younger students are being shaken down for even more cash.

Yahoo news reports that the average cost of tuition at a public four year college has risen 6.5% this fall. Their findings are conveyed in the College Board’s “Trends in College Pricing” report, released on Tuesday. The cost of a year at a private college, already notoriously expensive, has risen 4.4% to $26,273.

These prices, while average, are variable. Some students attending schools in California, Florida and New York have seen increases that double the average. However, more positive effects of the recession have been felt; the University of Maryland has frozen their tuition costs and some students found they paid considerably less when factoring in financial aid. When including financial aid, the costs of an average year at college remain higher than last year, but lower than five years ago, proving that the recession may have scared some colleges into cheaper costs, encouraged more students to apply for financial aid or raised the financial aid available. A companion report shows that there were increases in financial aid from the government and after financial aid; community college is virtually free to the 40% of the college popular who attend.

When considering that between 2008-2009 state funding for public colleges dropped by nearly $4 billion but enrollments grew and private colleges who saw enrollment decrease were forced to offer more financial aid, it is obvious that the schools could not afford the students applying to them.

When put into perspective of the widespread cutbacks made by the colleges; everything from sport facilities to faculty, many students feel the increase, despite more available financial aid, is unjust. The increases are also to be put into context as Yahoo goes on to explain: “during the period covered by the College Board report, consumer prices declined by 2.1 percent. So accounting for inflation, the latest increase at public colleges felt closer to a 9-percent jump.”

California was subject to serious cutbacks as the situation became grave. Californian universities and community colleges educate about 1/6th of American students and were forced to make serious cuts. Yahoo says: “Facing unprecedented state funding cuts, public colleges have boosted fees, raised class sizes, furloughed faculty and turned away students. On top of the current year’s 9-percent fee increase, the University of California system is considering increases of more than 30 percent by next year.”

A result of this increase is that students are borrowing more to attend college. However, they are borrowing from the government and not private lenders like banks. The government is providing loands and aid to students, with the main aid program for low-income college students increasing by over $600. The percentage of federal grant aid rose by over 11% from last year. Yahoo says: On average, about two-thirds of bachelor’s degree recipients borrow money, and their median debt is about $20,000 by graduation.”

What do you think about the increase in college tuition? Is it an inevitable facet of a recession or should the government take more action to prevent schools rising their costs? Let us know!