Facing Flaws

Students who turned down Temple needed something more – financial aid.

Temple’s non-enrollers survey cites financial concerns – especially out-of-state tuition prices and lack of financial aid – as major reasons why some accepted students choose not to matriculate at Temple.

A college education is no longer a choice but a necessity, especially in the midst of a recession and an ultra-competitive job market. As a state-affiliated public school, Temple has a responsibility to offer potential students, both in- and out-of-state, the chance to earn their degrees at affordable prices.

To take advantage of lower tuition rates and increase their chances of receiving generous financial aid packages, often choose to attend a public school in their home states students. Penn State University’s main campus currently charges a minimum of $14,400 per year to in-state undergraduates and more than $26,000 to out-of-state undergrads. The University of Pittsburgh’s undergraduate tuition rates are at least $13,300 a year for in-state students or more than $23,000 for out-of-state students.

At Temple, in-state undergraduate students pay a minimum of $11,174 a year; out-of-state undergrads pay more than $20,454. With such competitive prices, prospective students – especially those who reside in-state – should not have to attend other universities for purely financial reasons. And although tuition prices are generally higher for students who live out-of-state, they should also be awarded reasonable financial aid packages.

Tuition is higher for out-of-state students mainly because they don’t pay taxes to the state, which can provide a significant amount of the school’s funding. In order to afford the higher costs, including tuition plus the costs of living, many of these students must find employment. And when they’re being paid in the state of Pennsylvania, out-of-state students are paying the same proportion of state taxes as anyone else – regardless of official state residence.

Temple may not be able to assist an out-of-state student as much as one from Pennsylvania, but out-of-state students should at least receive more access to grants, scholarships or work-study opportunities that would help make Temple more appealing.

During a recession, it is important for Temple to recognize the importance of financial aid. We commend the university for raising tuition by a historically low percentage, but there’s still work to be done if students are choosing other schools because they cannot afford to attend Temple.