From the liberal New York Times to the Liberal LA Times:
Consider: In 1980, the average annual cost of undergraduate tuition and fees at the University of California was $776. Today, it's $13,218. That's an 18% increase over last year, which was 14% higher than the previous year, which was 23% steeper than the year before that.
Add up room, board, books and pocket change and you're easily into 30-plus grand.
In the California State University system, average annual fees were $160 in 1980. Now they're around $6,500, up 23% in the last year. Another hike is on tap for next September.
At community colleges, there were no academic fees before 1984. That year, a $5 per unit charge was imposed. Now it's up to $36; figure $864 annually for a full load. Sure, that's a bargain. But it's still a difficult reach for a single mom working a part-time job.
There's no happy ending in sight here â not concerning tuition and fees, not with tax revenue still falling short because of the lousy economy.
"At our first opportunity when the economy recovers, we need to restore funding to all three [college] systems," says state Senate leader Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento).
"But we can't wait for that day to happen," he continues. "We have to do the best we can with the tools we have to try to make things better for students and families caught in a squeeze."
Steinberg's answer: Substantially reduce the cost of textbooks.
Folks middle-aged and older may be shocked to learn the going rate for new textbooks. And used ones aren't always available.
Statistics and math textbooks can climb into the $200 range.
Steinberg says that the average college textbook in 2010 cost $104, a 24% increase from five years before. Between 1986 and 2004, textbook prices rose 186%, double the inflation rate. Students can expect to spend more than $1,100 a year on books.
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/12/local/la-me-cap-textbooks-20111212