The High Cost of Higher Education

Report: Analytical Report Regarding Tuition Rates

Prepared for: UNM Board of Regents
Brandy Maokhamphiou

THE HIGH COST OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Introduction
The increasing cost of secondary, higher education has become a large topic and concern for the
residents and students at the University of New Mexico (UNM). In March of 2016, the UNM Board of
Regents approved an increase in students tuition rates. There was a 2.5 percent tuition hike for
students attending UNM. The tuition prices continue to grow at a faster pace than students and families
can keep up with. With this price continuing to grow, it is becoming more difficult for the average New
Mexican family to send their child off to college. With UNM facing a budget shortfall, the burden is
being placed upon the students who attend the college. In the fall of 2002, the tuition for an
undergraduate who was taking 12-18 credit hours was approximately $1,584.60. For the fall of 2016
the estimated cost of tuition and fees for residents of New Mexico attending full time is $6,950.00.
UNM students and families are asking questions regarding the costs of higher education. Who is
responsible for the increase? Where is the money going to? Is this benefiting the students? What are
the repercussions of increasing the college tuition? The purpose of this report is to uncover the
implications of the cost of higher education. Public anxiety about college prices has risen and for good
reason. This report will reveal why there continues to be an increase in tuition rates and whether it is
helping or hindering the students of UNM.

Research Methodology
To understand the increase in college tuition, we follow a 3-part research plan:
Step 1: Gather information on the facts of higher education, its cost, and its price.
Step 2: Analyze the effects of tuition cost on the students of UNM.
Step 3: Compare tuition cost at UNM to other public universities in the United States.
Step 1: Gather information on the facts of higher education, its cost, and its price
To begin conducting this research, we must take account for the population of UNM. We need to
determine how many students are attending UNM full-time and part time. Once we have concluded

THE HIGH COST OF HIGHER EDUCATION

this, we will then see which students are living at home with their parents and which are living on their
own. The reason we want to take these factors into account is to see if an economic or financial factor
is involved in whether students are living at home or attending full time. To gather information on the
enrollment of student we will be going on to UNMs website and discovering the enrollment reports,
analyzing the cost of tuition over a 4 year period. Each source will be read in its entirety to ensure that
the sources are reliable.
Step 2: Analyze the effect of tuition cost on the students of UNM
In this step we will be examine the effects of tuition rates on students and families who attend UNM.
We will be doing this by conducting interviews with multiple student who attend UNM. These
interview will involve students with a variety of ethnic, racial, gender, and class backgrounds. The
purpose of these interviews is to get a sense on the reality of tuition cost and with the perspective of the
students, we can analyze the issue thoroughly.
Step 3: Compare tuition cost at UNM to other public universities in the United States
This step is going to compare UNMs tuition rates to other universities. We will also be comparing
population size and whether the university has seen an increase or decrease in admission rates. This
will aid in revealing whether tuition rate is a factor to students. We will be conducting our research
through the universities catalogs and websites.

Findings
In findings, we will be presenting all of the statistical data that we have collected. Each piece of
evidence will correlate to the step we are presenting it in.
Step 1: Gather information on the facts of higher education, its cost, and its price

THE HIGH COST OF HIGHER EDUCATION

On this graph, it is notable that the cost of tuition for in-state students has increased steadily over a 10
year period. Starting in the fall of 2006 the cost of tuition at UNM was $2,167.80. A decade later the
cost of tuition is $6,950.00. Based off of this graph college tuition at UNM has not decreased in the
past 10 years. It continues to rise. The cost of tuition also never stays the same. With this graph we can
deduce a trend line that the cost of tuition will continue rising.However, it is interesting to notice that
the enrollment status of undergraduate has been steadily declining. Over a 1 year change there was a
-1.80% decrease in enrollment. However over a 5 year change there was a -5.01% decrease in the
enrollment status of students.The overall average student load has increased. In 2011 the average
undergraduate was taking approximately 12.8 credit hours. In 2015 it has increased to 13.47 credit
hours. In 1 year there in an increase by 1.35%. However, in 5 years there is a 5.25% change, which
means that students workload has increased.

In the Soaring College Tuitions graph, we notice that college tuition fees are increasing tremendously.
They are increasing higher than medical care and the median family income. If the rate of tuition
continues to increase in such a drastic manner, it will be difficult to support a household while sending
children off to college. It will also be difficult for college students who are supporting themselves. This
leads us into the effects that college tuition has on UNM students.

THE HIGH COST OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Step 2: Analyze the effect of tuition cost on the students of UNM

Based off of the interviews that were conducted we notice that the college tuition is hindering the lives
and education of the students. According to one of the interviews conducted (we will be keeping the
interviewers name anonymous for privacy reasons) by a freshmen undergraduate striving for a degree
in engineering, the cost of college has come as shocking news. The student stated that the cost of
college For many, the cost of college is always a lingering thought in the back of peoples minds.
However, when you receive your first bill from the Bursars office it becomes very real. Another
student Jody Nguyen, allowed us to giver her an interview as well. In her interview she stated that she
was a sophomore and during the summer of her freshmen year she was not able to attend UNM
because the cost of tuition was higher than she could afford (Nguyen, 2016). Jody is a business major
and is now attending her senior year at UNM. She recently came back to school two years ago to finish
her degree in business. However she emphasized that she was not able to finish her bachelors in four
consecutive years because the cost of tuition increased. Due to this, she was not able to financially
support herself while attending school full-time. With the increase of tuition, the burden is placed on
the students. From the interviews I conducted, it is presumable that students will have an increasingly
harder time financially supporting themselves while attending school.

THE HIGH COST OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Step 3: Compare tuition cost at UNM to other public universities in the United States

The Universities we have chosen to compare to UNM are Arizona State University and Colorado State
University. These are both public institutions and are bordering New Mexico. We decided to compare
the cost of in-state students only. The tuition cost of ASU is $9,343. This is approximately $3,000 more
than UNMs tuition. ASU Board of Regent is also considering a tuition increase for the years 2016-17.
Colorado State University has a tuition of $10,558. In comparison, UNM has a lower tuition rate than
neighboring colleges. However, they still see a decrease in the students population. In comparison, to
neighboring colleges, UNM tuition rates are lower. However, with regards to room and board, as well
as other expenses, UNM has a similar cost to the national average of $12,748.

Discussion of Findings
1. The increasing cost of college has taken a tole on the population at UNM.
From the research that was conducted, it is apparent that the price of college is continuing to rise at a
steady rate. There seems to be a correlation between tuition rates and enrollment. The higher that the
tuition becomes, the less people that are enrolling at UNM.
2. UNMs tuition has tremendous effects on students.
It is becoming more and more difficult for the students at UNM to afford a higher education. In todays
day and age everything comes with a price tag attached. This price tag comes in a large amount with

THE HIGH COST OF HIGHER EDUCATION

regards to UNM. The students that were interviewed agreed that the outrageous prices of higher
education is resulting in drop outs and a large sum of debt, due to loans being pulled out.
3. UNM tuition is lower than neighboring colleges.
An upside to attending UNM is that students are not paying as much as other colleges do. When
compared to ASU and CSU, UNMs tuition is a fair price to pay for a higher education (in terms of
neighboring universities).

Conclusions and Recommendations

In conclusion, this report is studying the increase in the tuition cost at UNM over a span of time. From
this information gathered, we can analyze the effects on the students well being. We can also predict
future outcomes with regards to tuition cost, based upon tuition in past years and trends that can be
concluded from the stats and graphs that were being used. With UNM budget deficit, the students are
feeling the repercussions of it. Each year there seems to be an increase in students tuition. It is
becoming more of a task than ever to receive a higher education because of financial problems within
the schools system. In order to address the money deficit that UNM is facing, they must strengthen
institutional cost control, and deregulate higher education. The US has a world-class education system.
A college degree has become a requirement for economic success in todays world. In order for a
higher education to be received, we must first think of the cost of education.

THE HIGH COST OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Works Cited
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Soaring College Tuitions. Digital image. Blog Spot. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2016. <http://
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2016.
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