Tuition increases planned for Mississippi’s public universities

Tuition Fee Increase

Higher education can be expensive. It may soon be getting more so due to the tuition fee increase at Mississippi’s public universities.

Tuition increases for 2016 are planned for all eight of these universities. The increases have been preliminary approved by the College Board and will go to a final vote this month. The increases would take effect in 2016’s fall. The increases would raise in-state tuition at the universities an average of 4.1 percent, with the specific amount of the increase varying between the different schools. These increases would raise the average two-semester cost (tuition and fees) of attending a public university in Mississippi above $7,000.

Also, tuition increases for fall 2017 are planned for seven of the eight universities. These increases would raise tuition an additional 3.3 percent on average.

Many concerns can arise in relation to rising tuition costs, including concerns about student loans. One way students might end up covering increased costs they face from tuition hikes is taking on more student loans.

Students of Mississippi’s public universities are no strangers to student debt. In the 2012-2103 school year, over half of the freshmen at these universities held student debt that was federally-financed. If the planned tuition increases do end up happening, one wonders if this will lead to significant increases in the number of public university students who take on student debt and the amount of debt such students take on.

How much student debt a person ends up with as a result of college and other higher education can be incredibly impactful; having too much such debt could open the door for significant financial problems. Individuals who have encountered major financial problems as a result of their student debt load should consider speaking with an experienced debt relief attorney about what debt relief strategies may be able to help them get to a more stable financial situation.