SUNY pushes forward with plan to increase tuition

The State University of New York (SUNY) system is pushing forward with its plan to increase tuition once again, the Poughkeepsie Journal reports.

This week, SUNY leaders urged the state to support another round of tuition increases.

They are seeking an extension of the SUNY 2020 that took effect in 2011, which allowed every four-year SUNY college to raise tuition by up to $300 each year for five years.

SUNY costs have increased rapidly

But many students and people in the state legislature are sick of the constant increases in tuition, the Journal reports.

Tuition is up $1,500, or 30 percent, at SUNY four-year schools since 2011.

But supporters and SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher claim that the tuition is still affordable and must be raised to help improve the colleges and support new initiatives. The plan also makes it easier for incoming students to predict future costs by capping tuition increases at $300 per year.

Tuition was $6,470 a year for incoming freshmen this past fall, which Zimpher claims is the lowest in the Northeast among public colleges.

Room and board, however, is another story–and contributes significantly to SUNY students’ costs while rising each year.

The average SUNY student living on campus now pays $12,150 per year for room and board, and another $1,510 in fees, contributing to a total cost of attendance of about $20,130 per year.

Reduce your college costs

Even with the potential tuition increases, when compared with the cost of attendance of private colleges, SUNY colleges are still very affordable and are considered among the “best bang for your buck” colleges in the U.S., for both New York residents and out-of-state students.

However, we urge families and students to consider applying to private colleges as well as SUNY schools because private colleges often provide more money in scholarships and financial aid and can be even more affordable for some students.

While it’s not certain that the plan to increase tuition at SUNY colleges will go through, it’s important to find ways to reduce your college costs before applying to college, since tuition, room and board and fees will continue to rise each year at the majority of colleges.

If you need help affording college and want help getting the most financial aid possible, call Rick and Andy at 1-888-234-3907 or contact us here.