The increase a year ago was 5.2 per cent. Last year's increase was 4.2 per cent. The increase in 1998-99 was 3.6 per cent. Last year's increase was 4.2 per cent. Stanley O. Ikenberry, president of the American Council on Education, offered several reasons for the temperate tuition increases.
State budgets are stronger, and fewer costs are being shifted to students.
Endowment earnings are better. Federal student aid has increased. And colleges and universities themselves are showing results in containing costs. Others say that while colleges deserve credit for trying to keep costs down, the tuition increases still hurt students. More aid from the government would help, officials said.