How to Handle a Tuition Hike Littleton CO

Colleges and universities hit by state and federal funding cuts are shocking students with mid-year tuition hikes. How can students, already squeezed for money, cope with such unexpected sticker shock?

Don't Panic

Don't panic, experts say. Students should discuss the situation with their families first, said Seamus Harreys, dean of student financial services at Northeastern University in Boston. "Many families have no budget and therefore no plan to pay for an unexpected tuition increase," he said. "You want to know your starting point."

Visit Your Financial Aid Office

The next step is to go to the college financial aid office and, if possible, to a counselor who knows about all of the student's available resources, Harreys said. Students should see if adjustments can be made to their financial aid. "This is a change in financial circumstances," said Ann Coles, senior vice president of college access programs for The Education Resources Institute (TERI), based in Boston. The college financial aid office can determine whether the student is eligible for more grant aid, Coles said.

The federal Pell Grant program may also increase the amount of its grant. Colleges and universities may provide greater institutional aid for low-income students, said Rita Johnson, financial advisor at the Millstone Evans Group of Raymond James and Associates brokerage firm in Boulder, Colorado. Middle-income students may qualify for a higher subsidized student loan, or may be able to take on a greater work-study load, Johnson said....