Once upon a time, in the year 2000, a whopping 80% of students at prestigious public universities hailed from within state lines. Fast forward to 2012, and while enrollment numbers soared, most of the newcomers were actually from out of state. This shift has meant fewer spots for local students. Take the University of Alabama, for instance—its out-of-state population has exploded, quadrupling over the years and now dominating the freshman class.
While Alabama has cleverly expanded its capacity for both in-state and out-of-state students, other institutions like U.C. Berkeley have taken a different route. They’ve trimmed their in-state numbers while welcoming more out-of-state students, resulting in a dramatic jump in in-state tuition from $3,964 to a staggering $13,200!
As reported by The Times, many universities opt to balance the scales toward out-of-state students to boost their coffers instead of hiking tuition, which can be publicly scrutinized and regulated by state lawmakers. Schools such as Purdue University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Auburn University, and Michigan State University have all slashed spots for incoming in-state students while simultaneously increasing their allocations for non-residents and international students.
On a brighter note, the University of North Carolina shines like a beacon of hope, as state law mandates that in-state students must comprise at least 18% of the student body, ensuring strong local enrollment. But for the rest of us parents who are dreaming of a budget-friendly college option for our kids, the outlook may not be so rosy after all.
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In summary, the landscape for in-state tuition is changing, leaving many parents worried about their children’s college affordability. With a mix of state regulations and institutional strategies favoring out-of-state students, securing a spot at a public university may become increasingly challenging for local families.