The Decline of Diversity: College Costs

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When people talk about the cost of college, they usually think about tuition. How much does a school cost? How much financial aid will I get? How much debt will I have after graduation? Can my family handle this economic burden? But college has become much more than a tuition bill. Oftentimes, the other “smaller” expenses like housing, food, textbooks, transportation, clubs, Greek life, study abroad, and internships get overlooked. Costs rise quickly as these so-called “lesser fees” add up substantially. In some cases, the costs of sororities and fraternities can be as high as $9,000 per person, per semester. Colleges try to rationalize their cost of attendance by focusing on the amenities included within it. Fordham, for example, includes health services, psychological services, career counseling, alumni networks, tutoring communities, and the writing center. While all of these resources are incredibly valuable, they still result in increasing costs, ultimately creating financial barriers for low-income students eager to enhance their education. It is difficult not to wonder whether we are also making college less diverse by raising prices, not just in who gets admitted, but in who can actually participate once they get there.

There is already evidence that rising tuition can affect racial and ethnic diversity on college campuses. According to the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), tuition at public four-year institutions increased by 37% between 2008 and 2018. Financial aid did not keep up, and the average net price increased by 24%. Inside Higher Ed reported that the relationship between price increases and racial/ethnic diversity was especially significant at nonselective public institutions. Researchers found that a $1,000 increase in tuition and fees was associated with a 4.5% decrease in racial and ethnic diversity among first-time freshmen. Those numbers are hard to ignore since a $1,000 increase will never mean the same thing for every family. For some, it may be frustrating, but manageable. For others, it could be the difference between attending a four-year college and choosing a cheaper option, attending university part-time, or not going at all.

It is important to recognize that diversity is not exclusively related to race. Diversity can be seen in socioeconomic backgrounds and in the different lives students have lived prior to arriving on campus. For example, there may be two students sitting in the same classroom, both with the same professor, each taking the same exam. From the outside, it seems like their chances of success are equal. But after a closer look, it becomes clear that their experiences are actually completely different. One might be able to join a fraternity or sorority, study abroad, attend networking events, or take an unpaid internship. The other might work a part-time job every night in order to stay in school. Neither student is necessarily working harder than the other. One simply has more financial ability, which changes how they interact with opportunities available to them.

This matters because some of these experiences go beyond hobbies or extracurriculars. Select opportunities can affect a student’s future. An internship can lead to a job. A networking event can lead to a connection. Studying abroad can expose a student to another culture or a new way of thinking. Yet, those opportunities can come with their own price tags. The National Career Development Association points out that some students cannot afford to work without pay and that unpaid internships can “effectively exclude talented individuals.” That is a strange contradiction in higher education where students are told they need experience to compete for jobs. But some of the experiences that help them compete for selective positions are only realistic for students who can afford to work for free.

College is supposed to unite people of different backgrounds. That diversity benefits everyone, not just the students who come from less privileged backgrounds. As Inside Higher Ed reported, researchers have found that diversity can contribute to “cognitive development, attitudes toward satisfaction and a sense of well-being” among students. If rising costs make it harder for students from different economic and racial backgrounds to attend and participate, then the problem is bigger than a tuition bill. It would be naive to say that lowering college costs would be simple. Given the current state of our economy, with inflation and an unforeseeable economic future, it makes sense that it is not a simple fix. That being said, there are certainly small actions schools can take to ease the financial burden a bit. Expanding the university emergency fund or offering stipends for unpaid internships could go a long way. Instead of asking if a student can afford college, universities should ask whether or not students can afford the college experience. 

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This article was edited by Matias Enrique Origgi and Seraphine Saghafi