Study: degree not worth tuition dollars

College students are paying more for their degrees but are receiving less of an education, according to a study conducted by the Delta Project on Postsecondary Education Costs, Productivity and Accountability.

While the Delta Project did not name any schools in the study, the costs of tuition and education are a major concern for both IU students and administrators.

University administrators deny this is the case at IU. However, some students said they feel they are not always getting their money’s worth from their education.

“It’s making college more exclusive,” said freshman Samantha Smith, referring to tuition rates. “They’re not making it easier for kids to get educated.”

The Delta Project studies how educational institutions were distributing money, including spending on instruction, research, public service, student services, academic support, institutional support, scholarships, maintenance and auxiliary enterprises. According to the study, less is being spent on instruction, especially in public community colleges.

IU’s Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Neil Theobald said students are receiving a better education today than 30 years ago.

“Any like-to-like comparison that I have seen shows that today’s college graduates perform as well, or better than, their peers from past decades,” Theobald said.

Each undergraduate at IU pays a flat fee.  While in-state students pay about $8,000 per year, out-of-state students pay about $24,000. Additional student fees fund technology, student health, activities and transportation. The rest goes toward individual schools within the University based on how many credit hours are taken.

Students in specific schools, such as the Kelley School of Business, have to pay additional program fees in order to obtain a diploma from that school. All students pay a University Division fee for their advising needs, and none of these rates change if a student is out-of-state.

Other individual classes have added expenses as well.

“We pay an additional art fee,” said sophomore Molly Quanty. “I don’t know what the money goes to.”

Part of the added cost of college is due to rising standards, the report found. While IU saves money by relying more heavily on technology to perform the functions professors once did, the cost of professors and other teachers on campuses around the country continues to increase, according to the report. 

In addition, Indiana’s funding has dropped from paying $1.53 for every dollar per student to paying 43 cents for every dollar.

As state appropriations diminish, IU has relied more heavily on philanthropy to support students and individual schools.

“For example, we used gift funds generated by Bloomington’s Matching the Promise capital campaign to pay for 98 percent of the cost of tuition, room and board for in-state students from families with incomes of $50,000 or less per year,” Theobald said. “These students paid an average of $341 last year.”

However, many students feel applying for such scholarships can be disheartening.
“I’m not the most spectacular on paper,” Smith said. “I’m white middle class. My grades aren’t all perfect. I’m not special.” 

This year, IU’s budget is about $789 million, said Steve Keucher, director of the University Budget Office, with $342 million expected to come from non-resident tuition.

Many students like Quanty would like to see how their tuition is broken down.

“I wish there was a full-out list, like this money is going to professors, and this money is going to supplies,” Quanty said. “It feels like the money is in the wrong place sometimes.”