Is the High Cost of Tuition Causing Decreased College Enrollment

Is the High Cost of Tuition Causing Decreased College Enrollment? Alleged Link Between Tuition and Enrollment Many people who express anger about skyrocketing costs claim there is a direct correlation between tuition hikes and lower enrollment. However, recent studies do not support their claims about tuition hikes and drops in enrollment. Related Articles College Tuition Costs and Comparisons College Tuition Costs and Comparisons Cost of a Medical Degree in Germany Cost of a Medical Degree in Germany How Much Are College Application Fees? How Much Are College Application Fees? The Hemelt and Marcotte Study In 2008, professors Dr. Steven Hemelt and Dr. David Marcotte completed one of the first major academic treatises of the 2000s that analyzed the relationship between tuition and enrollment. They concluded that tuition increases had an insignificant impact on enrollment. A $100 increase in tuition produced less than one percent in enrollment decreases. However, they noted that rising tuition had a slightly larger effect on decreasing enrollment at Research I schools. The DeLeeuw Study In late 2012, a study by Dr. Jamie DeLeeuw of Monroe Community College confirmed for the community college model what Hemelt and Marcotte had concluded about four-year, public schools. Arguably, in the most sophisticated enrollment study available to the public, Dr. DeLeeuw concluded that tuition rates had no relationship to credit hour enrollment. Dr. DeLeeuw instead found a connection between enrollment and unemployment rates: "...credit hour enrollment grew slightly as the unemployment rate increased; individuals appear to seek education when jobs are scarce." California Community Colleges One of the most significant enrollment drops in the nation belongs to California's community colleges. However, the enrollment plunge for the financially troubled state has been attributed to its government's fiscal mismanagement, not tuition increases. Unemployment Rates and College Enrollment In an interview with USA Today, Doug Shapiro, executive director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, states that college enrollments nationwide dramatically increased in 2011 as the recession grew. Joblessness pushed people to return to school, but now that the economy is showing encouraging signs, enrollment is decreasing as people return to the job market. Humanizing the Numbers Even though the recent decrease in enrollment has been small, these modest percentages represent hundreds of thousands of students. The experience of dropping out of college can be heartbreaking for students as they wrestle with high levels of student debt without a degree to show for it. Besides low-income families, a larger amount of middle-class families are also seeing their college dreams dashed because they can't keep up with rising tuition costs.