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College tuition increased for 2015-16 but here's the good news of it
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The nonprofit College Board released its annual "Trends in College Pricing" report Wednesday, and among the findings were that tuition costs increased again but not as much as in prior years. - photo by Payton Davis
An annual report on the cost of college released Wednesday indicated parents who help their high school seniors plan for college should always take tuition increases into account.

But the report's findings weren't all gloomy: In-state tuition and fees increases at public universities for the 2015-16 school year were the lowest they've been since the '70s, Kevin Walker wrote for U.S. News & World Report.

That contradicts people's views on the financial side of higher education, the report, published by the College Board, read.

"Significantly, and perhaps counter to public impressions, price increases are not accelerating over time," Walker quoted the trends piece as stating.

Julia Glum wrote for International Business Times the costs were up about 3 percent across the board. The report showed tuition and fees for an in-state student at a public, four-year college averaged $9,410 $265 more than last year.

"Public, four-year out-of-state schools cost $23,893 up $786 from the year before and private colleges cost $32,405 about $1,000 more," Glum's report read.

The 2.9 percent increase for in-state tuition was about the same as the prior two years, Karla Bowsher wrote for Money Talks News. In addition, the average federal loan per undergraduate student fell 6 percent in 2015.

Walker reported long-term trends in increases also included some promising news. Between the 2005-06 and 2015-16 school years, the cost of college rose yearly on average by 3.4 percent.

"Thats less than the annual 4.2 percent gain between the 1985-1986 and 1995-1996 school years and the 4.3 percent annual gain between the 1995-1996 and 2005-2006 school years," Walker wrote.

Still, Glum reported higher education costs continue to increase. States slashing education spending post-Great Recession might've caused the "bump" in tuition and fees.

Jack Buckley, College Board's senior vice president of research, said combatting the rising price however little should be a focus on every level.

"The data provoke a necessary conversation about college financing," Glum qouted Buckley as saying. "As the price of postsecondary education continues to rise, we need innovative thinking around federal, state and institutional aid that will allow all students and families to feel confident that they will be able to pay for college."

View Forbes' 10 states with the lowest public college tuition costs below.
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