Iowa Tuition Rises 4.25%. Will Higher Tuition Turn Students Away?
When I grew up, I was beaten over the head with the idea that if I don't go to college, I will never be able to get a job.
When I started in radio in 1996, here in the Quad Cities, I decided to start college so I could make the most of my tenure and truly excel in my craft.
Instead, my parents paid for my "radio diploma" and no one at my station even asked to look at my resume.
When my wife was pregnant with our first child, I decided to go back to school to get my associate's degree because I was sure you couldn't raise a family on a radio salary.
Instead, I'm still paying off my student loans and now have a 13-year-old and a 10-year-old, a house & two dogs. I guess we made it work despite the monthly payment on the degree I have yet to use.
I'm not the only one who has a less than favorable view of college education. But at what point will the cost of an education dissuade people from that route?
We may be finding out sooner than later.
According to IowaCapitalDispatch.com, this past Wednesday, the Iowa Board of Regents approved increasing tuition at state public universities during their meeting at Iowa State University. The board voted in favor of increasing tuition by 4.25% at Iowa State University, University of Northern Iowa and the University of Iowa.
The new costs go into effect for the 2022-2023 school year, which means students at the three universities will now pay over $300 more in tuition each year.
There will always be jobs that require an education, so for that reason, I believe colleges have a very important job. But there are plenty of jobs that do not require an education and those jobs might be more importanter.