Cost of college tuition continuing to rise: more battles lie ahead for workers and youth around education

Left: students at the University of California at Berkeley played a major role in the fightback against cuts last year.

The cost of higher education is continuing to rise with tuition fees rising faster than inflation according to a new report issued today. The nonprofit, College Board says that from 2000 to 2010, tuition at public four-year colleges and universities rose 5.6% a year adjusted for inflation. When room and board is added to the equation, costs rise dramatically, the report finds. For four year public institutions, the average cost including room and board is $16,140 and at private colleges $36, 993.

Recent federal aid has alleviated the problem for some students and Pell grants, that accounted for 44% of the $94 billion awarded in the 2009/20010 school year, are also expected to rise says the Wall Street Journal. Pell grants accounted for 34% in the previous year and 29% a decade ago according to the report. However, any slight fix of this nature is wiped out by catastrophic consequences of job loss or the loss of one’s home. Moving back in with the folks is not the option it once was perhaps.

Costs for all levels have risen. Average annual costs for:

In state students at public four-year institutions: $7, 605 up, 7.9%
Private non-profit colleges and universities: $27, 293, up 4.5%
Two year state colleges: $2,713, up 6%

Declining state revenue and the cost of the numerous wars abroad, is being felt with cuts in all public services including education. Public sector workers are being made the scapegoat also with our wages, conditions, and retirement benefits being blamed for the crisis and cuts. The capitalist class plundering the economy and the resources of the world are using the age old divide and conquer to turn young against old, public sector against private, students against workers and all of us against immigrants.

A “progressive” candidate for school board in my town is campaigning on a program that includes, making the cuts “as far from the classroom as possible”. In other words, cut the janitors. This divisive position flows from this person’s acceptance that cuts have to be made; it is simply a matter of my constituency dodging the bullet and some other sector of the working class taking the hit.

This is a disastrous position as the bullet then is never dodged as it makes it harder to unite the working class and build a movement that can drive back this offensive of capital and make the rich pay. There is plenty of money about. US corporations have some $1 trillion that they are hoarding according to reports in the Wall Street Journal. Then there are the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to name a few sources of cash. I suggested other alternatives here, here and here to name a few. A first step in fighting back is rejecting the ideology of the capitalist class, their paid spokespersons in academia and supporters in the Labor movement, who argue there is no money in society. We have to ask: why is there such a thing as a student loan market?

For free federally funded education through all levels
Teacher parent and student control of the schools and the education process. Those who receive the service must determine how we receive it.
End the predatory wars abroad and fund education, health care, social services to create jobs.

Make the rich pay; build an independent mass political party of workers and youth.