Writer: Joey Garrand
2 min read February 2022 — While headlines emphasize rising costs in higher education, colleges and universities in New Jersey are making great strides in improving the affordability of college. On the other hand, the resources needed to attend college do not stop at tuition.
2021 was an important year for college affordability in New Jersey with the passing of two landmark pieces of legislation, the Community College Opportunity Grant Program (CCOG) and the Garden State Guarantee initiative (GSG). CCOG allows qualified students to attend any New Jersey community college without tuition or educational fees. Under the GSG, students with an annual gross income of $65,000 or less will have the opportunity to receive tuition- and fee-free education for two years of study at one of New Jersey’s four-year public institutions. In other words, New Jersey has created a tuition-free environment for students from modest backgrounds at public institutions.
Private schools have also been making a significant effort in reducing tuition costs. “Fairleigh Dickinson University recently lowered tuition to $32,000 annually to improve the affordability of a private university education, and more recently FDU announced a program that guarantees full Pell-eligible students a tuition-free education for four years,” President Christopher A. Capuano told Invest:. The drop to $32,000 represented a 22-25% reduction in tuition costs.
However, the costs and commitments of attending college do not end when a student walks through the door. According to CollegeBoard, average estimated budgets (tuition and fees, room and board, and allowances for books and supplies, transportation and other personal expenses) for full-time undergraduate students range from $18,830 for public two-year in-district students and $27,330 for public four-year in-state students. Expenses are much higher for private institutions.
“We’ll need to have some serious discussions about sustainability and assistance for students with certain insecurities,” said Chancellor of Rutgers University–Camden Antonio Tillis, in an interview with Invest: last year. These discussions continue to be held across virtually all higher-education leadership teams. In addition to daunting cost totals for recent high-school graduates, life itself can be draining and unpredictable.
“The most important challenges are those that students face in their life, other than just successfully completing coursework. Students face life challenges that include security, housing, childcare and healthcare, including mental health,” explained Margaret McMenamin, President of Union County College. “To address these challenges, we are intentionally working with our Middlesex College Foundation that supports the college in finding ways to help remove these obstacles for students. We have a variety of resources available to students, such as advising and counseling, to help them address the multiple challenges they face.”
Among students who are pursuing a Bachelor’s degree, students who drop out of college are almost 100 times more likely to default on their student loans than students who graduate, according to Mark Kantrowitz. Dropouts tend to be first-generation students and from low-income families.
Margaret McMenamin, president of Union County College, views education as a platform for solving economic injustices. “Historically, minorities have not graduated from universities at the same rate as the majority of students have. Our route to social justice is through education and we have focused like a laser beam on ensuring that everyone who comes to Union County College has a very good opportunity to receive their diploma,” said McMenamin, also sharing how it is helping graduates find jobs or four-year colleges that have appropriate support as well as education.
Although tuition has become much more affordable to students over the course of 2021 in New Jersey, higher education leaders have made it clear that substantial progress is left to be made in ensuring the success of all students.
