Net Prices by Income over Time: Public Sector
For full-time dependent students from the lowest-income families, average grant aid covered total tuition and fees at public two-year colleges from 1992-93 through 2007-08 and at public four-year colleges and universities from 1999-2000 through 2007-08, the last year for which data are available.
NOTE: Net price is defined here as published price less grant aid. Unlike the calculations of net price in Figure 7, tax credits and deductions are not subtracted. Income groups are based on quartiles of families in the U.S. Census Bureau 2006 income data (corresponding to the 2007-08 academic year). Earlier years' income cutoffs are based on the 2006 cutoffs and adjusted for inflation. In 2006 dollars, lowest-income group: <$32,500; lower-middle group: $32,500–$59,999; upper-middle group: $60,000–$99,999; highest income group: $100,000 and higher.
SOURCES: NCES, NPSAS, 1993, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008; U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 2007.
- For full-time dependent public four-year college students at all income levels, net total cost of attendance grew most rapidly between 1999–2000 and 2003-04.
- From 2003-04 to 2007-08, average tuition and fees net of grant aid declined for lower middle income full-time dependent students at public four-year institutions, but increased at an annual rate of 2% to 3% beyond inflation for those from families with higher incomes.
- For full-time dependent students from lower-middle income families with incomes (in 2006 dollars) between $32,500 and $59,999, total tuition and fees net of grant aid at public four-year colleges was 47% of the net price paid by the highest-income students in 1992-93 and in 2003-04, but only 34% of the amount paid by the highest-income students in 2007-08.
- For full-time dependent public two-year college students at all income levels, net total cost of attendance grew most rapidly between 1995-96 and 1999–2000. The cost of attendance grew less than 2% per year in constant dollars between 2003-04 and 2007-08.
- The lowest-income full-time dependent students at public two-year colleges receive, on average, enough grant aid to cover their entire tuition and fees. However, these students faced an average of $6,480 in room and board, books and supplies, transportation, and other costs after grant aid in 2007-08.