College students in Georgia are spending a larger percentage of their family income to pay for their education, particularly at four-year institutions, according to a report released Thursday by the Atlanta-based Southern Regional Education Board.
The percentage of income that Georgia families needed to pay for educational expenses at four-year institutions such as the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech, Georgia State and Kennesaw State universities increased for most income categories from 2018 to 2022, the report found. For students with an annual family household income less than $30,000, it was 67% of those earnings, the Southern Regional Education Board found. The only income bracket where the percentage of income needed for college didn’t increase was for families with annual household incomes greater than $110,000, which paid 9% of those earnings.
The 58-percentage point gap between the highest and lowest income groups in 2022 indicates inequity in affordability, the report said.
The education board examined data for the 2021-22 academic year, the most recent year that student financial aid and net price data were available.
Georgia higher education leaders, recognizing the concerns about affordability, have tried to address the issue in several ways in recent years. The University System of Georgia implemented its “Know More, Borrow Less” initiative a few years ago to help students complete the federal financial aid form easier and to better understand college costs.
The state Board of Regents, which oversees the state system, raised tuition this school year for instate students by 2.5%, but noted it was the first increase for all but one of its schools since 2019. Private institutions, such as Emory University, announced an effort three years ago to provide more grants and scholarships for students from lower-income households.
The Southern Regional Education Board report highlighted some positive findings about Georgia.
Graduates who sought a degree or certificate from some four-year universities in 2020-21 borrowed, on average, $20,358. The average was $22,083 in 2015-16. Georgia also awarded more merit-based aid in 2021-22 per full-time-equivalent student than the national average, the report found.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
Education board President Stephen Pruitt was complimentary of Georgia’s approach to improve college affordability, citing programs like “Georgia Match,” which informs public high school seniors what public colleges whose academic eligibility requirements they would meet. Pruitt observed that the report found the growth in state appropriations “significantly outpaced inflation, highlighting Georgia’s strong support for two-year institutions.”
“Georgia really has much to be proud of in their approach to the education-to-workforce system, especially about access,” he said in a statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Affordability, especially for lower-income families in four-year institutions, remains a challenge. All states should have a greater focus on access, persistence, retention and attainment.”
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