State university systems and private colleges have ramped up free tuition programs over the past year hoping to quell public skepticism regarding the affordability of a degree. States with free-tuition or “last-dollar” scholarship programs prior to 2024 have seen stronger application and enrollment numbers.
However, erasing college tuition and related frees does not equate to a free education. Living expenses, such as housing and food, still can leave aspiring students with a surprising price tag.
The Illinois Commitment, a free tuition program that began at the University of Illinois in 2019, has swayed prospective students to enroll, per IPM News. However, students’ ability to pay the indirect costs of their education, which do not appear on their official student invoice, is another matter.
A pair of reports from the College Board found that the cost of housing rose by 14% more than inflation between 2010 and 2020, and that room and board and food at a public four-year college now costs more than tuition.
“We tell our scholars not to fall in love with a college until they get their financial aid packages, which is really hard to tell high school seniors,” Sam Miller, executive director of Green Halo Scholars, a program helping first-generation and low-income students navigate college, told IPM News. “I always know, between the Pell Grant and the MAP Grant, the student can afford tuition, but room and board is another beast.”
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The University of Massachusetts recently announced its plan to cover all tuition and mandatory fees for students from households making less than $75,000. Students attending the Boston campus can still expect to pay $14,000 annually on off-campus housing, food and books. At MIT, where on-campus housing for first-year students is mandatory and costs over $13,000, students will have to pay over $21,000 despite the university covering tuition for those making below $200,000.
A stagnant minimum wage means that students have to work more hours to cover living expenses, leaving them with less study time and creating other hurdles. Secondly, the lack of paid internships can inhibit students from gaining experience related to their aspiring career field.
Students from minority backgrounds, such as Hispanics, are especially vulnerable to food and housing insecurity, depleting their chance of finishing college. “[T]oo many find that college is no escape from the struggle against poverty and food insecurity,” said Eric Rodriguez, senior vice president of policy and advocacy at UnidosUS, a Latino advocacy organization. ”We must invest in supporting these students to ensure that higher education can deliver on its promise.”
Attempts at legislation to tackle student food and housing insecurity has fared moderately. The Hunger Free Campus Bill designed by Swipe Out Hunger—which would disburse extra funding to public colleges to establish a meal-swipe program, food pantries and create SNAP enrollment opportunities—has passed in 10 states but is either still pending or has died in 12. One bill in Ohio proposing to establish Section 8 housing for students failed in July.
