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From the VCU Wilder School Research and Extension Department
March 11, 2024
Views on the cost of higher education are complex, as are strategies for making higher education more affordable. Although many agree that the rising cost of higher education is a problem that needs to be solved, policymakers and the public often disagree about what policies will be most helpful. To gain further insight into this issue, in recent years the Wilder School Commonwealth Poll has surveyed Virginians to find out whether they feel higher education is worth the cost and whether they believe higher education is more affordable. We are asking for their views on policies for achieving this goal.
Currently, the average total cost for a four-year institution in Virginia is $26,484 per year. A January 2024 federal poll found that while a minority of respondents agreed that the cost of a four-year college education was worth it, most respondents supported making community college education free. answered.
Data for this poll was obtained through telephone interviews with a representative sample of 812 adults aged 18 and older living in Virginia. Telephone interviews were conducted by landline and mobile phone from December 28, 2023 to January 13, 2024. The margin of error was +/- 5.46 percent.
When asked whether the current cost of a four-year degree from an in-state university in Virginia is worth it, 50 percent of respondents said it was not worth the cost, and 39 percent said it was not worth the current cost. answered that it was worth it. The percentage agreeing that higher education is worth the cost is lower than when this question was asked in August 2023 (47 percent agreed it was worth the cost) and in January 2023. (38 percent agreed). that it is worth the cost).
Looking at the demographic breakdown, consent generally increased as participants' incomes and ages increased. Those with a household income of less than $20,000 were less likely to agree (21%) than those with a household income of $150,000 or more (55%). The same pattern emerged as age increased, with 51% of those aged 65 and over agreeing, while only 15% of those aged 18 to 24 agreed.
Poll participants were also asked which of the following policies they thought would help make college more affordable:
- Virginia should invest more money in its budget into higher education.
- Virginia should freeze tuition for an extended period of time to keep costs down for students.
- Virginia higher education institutions should be required to reduce costs by a certain percentage to keep costs down for students and students.
- Virginia should make community college free for all students to keep costs down.
The most popular option for Virginians is to require Virginia higher education institutions to reduce costs by a certain percentage to lower costs for students, with 71% choosing this option. The second most popular option was to provide free community college for all students, with 63 percent agreeing that this would be helpful. Of the remaining options, 53% said additional state funding could help solve the problem, and 52% said they thought a tuition freeze would help.
Breaking down these results by demographic, Democrats were the most likely to support free community college. This option was least popular with Republicans, who tended to believe that cost-cutting measures would be more helpful. Racial and ethnic minorities were also most likely to say free community college would help reduce higher education costs, but white participants were as likely as Republicans to support cost-cutting measures. . Age also influenced participants' views, with free community college favored primarily by younger participants and cost-cutting measures favored primarily by older participants.
Additionally, a January 2023 federal poll asked participants whether they thought student loan forgiveness at the federal level would help alleviate rising higher education costs. In this case, 52 percent of the participants said they supported this policy, and 42 percent opposed it.
There is no question that education is critically important, and policymakers and the public should continue to work to find ways to make higher education available to everyone who wants it. . As debate continues over the cost of higher education and the policies that alleviate it, polls like this one can help policymakers make decisions to promote more inclusive and accessible education for all. will help you provide the information you need.
author: The Wilder School's Center for Public Policy advances research and training that informs public policy and decision-making to improve communities. Leveraging the extensive expertise of Wilder School faculty, we provide leadership development and training, economic and policy impact analysis, research insights, and We provide services such as program evaluation. Twitter: @VCUWilderSchool
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