Reply to Why are red states keeping colleges more affordable ?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The cost of living is significantly lower in red states. Lower salaries, lower construction costs, lower HVAC bills, etc. That accounts for pretty much all of the discrepancy.[/quote]
+1 CA UC schools are pricey now due to the col. It's not because FL prioritizes higher ed more than CA. That's funny.[/quote]

Really? Florida’s cost of living is totally average, yet in state tuition at UF and FSU runs around $5-6k/year. And I’m sure the HVAC bills there are through the roof  :) [/quote]

The COL in Gainesville and Tallahassee is much, much lower than any city in CA. Are you nuts?[/quote]

How are you so sure the tuition difference can be attributed to COL alone? There are plenty of midwestern state schools in cheap towns with significantly higher tuition than FL schools (although they’re still a bargain). Plus, FL schools in larger cities are similarly dirt cheap. The prior governor also eliminated automatic tuition increases and the FL state leg hasn’t increased tuition in like a decade. CA raised state school tuition pretty dramatically fairly recently to deal with budget cuts and shortfalls. This is an area where the state government’s priorities and budget really have an impact. [/quote]

The answer is pretty simple — whether you’re talking sticker price or the discounted price that most students pay after guaranteed merit scholarships, the lower cost is because the state legislatures have prioritized funding for their university system. Texas is a bit of an anomaly because of their huge endowment, but the use of that money is generally limited to things like capital improvements, so it has only an indirect impact on tuition.

The other factor that hasn’t been discussed is that these states are also pouring money into the non-flagship campuses in the systems. Because the competition for the flagships has gotten so fierce, the states have focused on making the other campuses more attractive. The University of Central Florida has over 70,000 students and is (or is close to being) the largest university in the US (and is no longer the safety commuter school it once was). [/quote]

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