By William C. Smith, Jr. | November 16, 2017
Education, specifically higher education, is directly correlated to innumerable economic and social benefits: higher salaries, a more versatile and qualified workforce, healthier lifestyles and greater economic mobility to name a few. Access to higher education, however, has become more fleeting, especially for the poor. In 1971, the average cost of tuition for a public 4-year college was $428 ($2,499 adjusted for inflation) per year. By 2015 tuition had risen to $9,420 per year, an increase of 276 percent when adjusted for inflation.
According to a 2016 report published by the Maryland Department of Legislative Services (DLS), “Maryland’s investment in need-based financial aid is below the national average.” The report also noted that “from 2008 to 2013, the average tuition and fees paid by a Maryland student increased 20 percent at community colleges and 15 percent at four year intuitions.” During that same period the median family income only grew by 3 percent.
For those community college students looking to transfer to a four-year institution within University System of Maryland (USM) the challenges are all the more significant. Few financial aid opportunities exist for this population, and the majority of them work or have significant family obligations. According to the DLS report, a working student would need to put in 23 hours a week at a minimum wage job to pay tuition at a community college and about 40 hours a week to afford tuition at a four-year institution — an impractical and untenable proposition for any low-income student attempting to maintain full-time enrollee status.