Michigan college students might feel more dejected than most when their tuition bills come.
Students at public universities in the state pay more in tuition and fees than almost anyone else in the nation. Only four states have higher averages, according to a study released earlier this week by the College Board, a nonprofit organization that administers the SAT.
Kentucky and Colorado are the only states that had higher tuition increases this year.
Incoming MSU students will pay $7,944.50 in tuition and fees this year, almost $2,500 more than the national average of $5,491.
On a national scale, tuition rate increases were lower than in previous years, yet public four-year universities in Michigan had a 12 percent increase on average.
But tuition rates alone don't reveal the overall cost of attending college in a specific state.
"There are a variety of factors that you need to take into account," said Sandy Baum, a senior policy analyst for the College Board and one of the report's authors.
The amount of financial aid available in the state plays a significant role, she said.
The MSU Board of Trustees approved a 13.5 percent tuition increase for new students in August, but increased financial aid 15 percent at that same time.
"The College Board thing is tuition. We like to talk about total cost," MSU spokesman Terry Denbow said. "For our neediest students, the cost out of pocket is less."
The overall cost for a typical resident student coming into MSU is $13,688.50 this year, a more than $1,200 increase from last year.
That cost is $1,561 above the national average, but doesn't include external expenses or financial aid.
MSU officials attributed rising tuition costs to lack of support from the state government.
And some state legislators agree.
"It's a direct correlation … we've been cutting the heck out of them for the past three or four years, because, frankly, we haven't suffered any political grief," said Rep. John Stewart, R-Plymouth, a member of the Michigan House Appropriations Committee. "You're going to see increased student debt, you're going to see students really digging into financial aid programs."
The House of Representatives proposed a formula that would have kept MSU's budget in line with the previous year, but that plan was not adopted.
"Unless the state puts more money into higher education, tuition is going to continue to rise. It really does have to do with the state's policy, in that sense," Baum said.
But Baum said keeping tuition low isn't as important as ensuring financial aid is available for needy students. States like Vermont have high tuition costs, but also offer high levels of financial aid, she said.
Stewart suggested pulling money out of places such as the state correctional budget to bolster higher education. But Brian O'Connell, chief of staff for state Sen. Shirley Johnson, R-Troy, said universities need to take responsibility for curbing spending.
"If someone spends at double-digit inflation, who can afford to keep up with that?" he said. "The state has been in a financial recession for probably five years now. Everyone has been cut."
