Books per year: $1,000, registering a car: $120. Paying full tuition: $32,214. Entering the working world with a college education: priceless.
As priceless as a college education may be in today's degree-hungry society, annual tuition hikes at Otterbein could be keeping students out of school.
Based on the current trend, students at Otterbein can expect to pay about $1,500 more every year. During 2006-2007, tuition was $30,660, including room and board and costs this year rose to $32,214. The recently released price for next year will be $33,780.
In 2007, MSNBC reported that four-year private colleges' "tuition and fees rose 6.3 percent." The average total cost came to $23,712.
Sophomore education major Karli Volkmer is carrying this ever-increasing financial burden by herself. "I am paying for my tuition without the help of my parents," she said.
Volkmer, who came to Otterbein to play basketball and to enjoy the Westerville location later realized her enjoyment came with a price tag.
"I am going to be paying off school for awhile. I just hope I get a job immediately after graduation so I have the money to start paying off my loans," said Volkmer. "Whether your parents are paying for your school or not, it just seems that since college becomes more expensive each year it may discourage people to continue their education because they cannot afford to," she said.
Students aren't the only ones who suffer from rising expenses. Women's basketball coach Connie Richardson said "we always lose kids to finance."
To make up for the financial burden, the coach said she attempts to "sell" Otterbein's academics, reputation, location and facilities to her recruits.
"You have to get lucky," she said. "I have lost my top recruit before because it was too expensive."
David Mead, Vice President for Business Affairs, attributed the rise in tuition to higher operating costs for the college."No one likes to see price increases ... costs of goods and services that the college purchases have gone up as well, some due to significantly higher oil costs," he said.
The education and theatre departments haven't noticed a drop-off in enrollment. "I cannot argue that we are short on students. We have full classes," said Niki Fayne, education chairperson. "Loans can burden students and their families, but we seem to have a wealth of students here," she said.
John Stefano, the theatre and dance chairperson has seen an increase in student enrollment despite rising costs, which he attributed to a majority of students receiving some kind of financial aid through the department. t&c;
