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The inflation of tuition prices for higher education has always been a problem. From 1958 to 1996, the rate of tuition inflation for colleges was 7.24%. Compare this with the general inflation rate for the same time period, which was only 4.49%. This has not changed at all today; not only have college tuition prices bucked any attempt to tie them to an objective standard of value, but the inflation rate was 6.3% in 2007. They seem to rise on their own momentum. Consider the example of Wesleyan University: for four-year undergraduate students, the total cost is currently $217,362. This is a staggering price that leaves many students who attend Wesleyan sagging under the loan of student loan debt, sometimes to the tune of $50,000 or more.

Faced with the obvious difficulty of attracting students who are worried about paying for the cost of an education, some colleges and universities have come up with a curious method: locking in the price of tuition. Locking in the tuition price means that they artificially prevent the price from increasing. There are questions as to the effectiveness of this method, but no one questions the fact that it is working. When this method fails, some colleges have even cut tuition rates instead of increasing them. Usually the publicity resulting from this brings larger numbers of enrolled students, which compensates the schools for their lost revenue.

Locking in tuition does not solve the problem entirely, however. Many colleges are still faced with upward price mobility. Consequently, they modify the method slightly; they raise tuition rates for succeeding classes of freshman. This allows them to handle the upward pressure on tuition prices while still remaining true to their commitment to locking in specific tuition amounts.

Inflation is tricky in that it is completely unpredictable but always manages to make things more expensive. The general inflation rate swings up and down from year to year, just as the tuition inflation rate does. Many analysts and commentators agree that there is a very large bubble in higher education that is due to undergo rapid and severe deflation in the near future. Colleges locking in their tuition price this year could very well find themselves in a pickle next year.

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What plan that lock in tuition plans at eligible colleges and universitys is known as what?

Prepaid tuition plan


Are tuition fees too much?

In my opinion yes. Tuition has increased multiples as compared to the rate of inflation.


4 Ways to Get Out of Paying Tuition Increases?

The financial crisis of 2008 has forced many private and public colleges and universities to raise their tuition costs for future academic years. Several endowments have been partially or completely wiped out due to the stock market crash, during which the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined by six thousand points. Raising tuition costs has contributed to speculation about a bubble in higher education, and whether that bubble will burst. Parents and students worried about paying for college can breathe a little easier, however, since there are ways of avoiding having to pay for increased tuition costs. Dozens of colleges now offer payment plans in which the school locks the price of tuition for the four years that the student is enrolled. These truth in tuition programs often end up increasing prices in other ways, such as in cafeteria food, dorm expenses, and other miscellaneous charges. There is a downside to this method, however. Colleges raise tuition costs for succeeding classes. In addition, some colleges have ended their tuition lock-in programs because they simply have to raise prices in order to keep up with inflation. Plus, colleges that use this method often end up being much more expensive than other colleges. Another way colleges attract students worried about expenses is to offer the option for both parents and students to invest in so-called prepaid savings plans. These plans allow students to buy tuition credits that can be applied to their education bills over four years. The programs are usually offered only if the student has tuition expenses over a year away. Like tuition lock-ins, however, even this program is facing challenges. Some programs also lock-in tuition costs; others require investors to pay premiums over the normal tuition price in order to remain eligible to attend. This results in actually increasing the tuition costs without actually increasing them. Unfortunately, it appears that without drastic deflation in higher education, tuition prices will continue to rise. Since 1982, higher education costs have risen by almost 500%, which is four times faster than the national inflation rate. Tuition price hikes can be avoided but only at the cost of paying for them sooner rather than later.


What is a plan that locks in tuition prices at eligible colleges and universities is known as?

Prepaid tuition plan


How much is the tuition fee in enderun colleges?

500k


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A prepaid tuition plan allows families to purchase tuition credits at current prices, which can be redeemed in the future for the cost of college tuition. These plans typically lock in tuition rates, offering protection against future increases in tuition costs. They can be used at eligible colleges and universities specified by the plan.


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