College tuition increases mostly kept pace with the rise in cost of other goods and services, but students and families are still struggling to pay for higher education, according to a report released Wednesday by the College Board.
Founded in 1900, the nonprofit organization seeks to help more students get a college education.
Average tuition and fees for in-state students at four-year public colleges and universities climbed 6.4 percent to $6,585, according to the organization’s annual report on tuition and student aid, while financial aid only increased by 5.5 percent.
Record numbers of students are receiving federal financial aid. But the maximum federal aid offered through Pell Grants in 2007-08 covered only 32 percent of tuition, room and board at public four-year colleges, according to the report.
“Adequate and accessible financial aid is now more crucial than ever with so many students and families facing a wide range of economic pressures,” Dr. Sandy Baum, a senior policy analyst at the College Board, said in a press release.
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