New numbers released by the College Board may mean financial hardship for some Georgia college students and their families.
The report showed that Georgia was third in the nation for highest tuition increase for in-state students between 2011 and 2012, which an average increase of 15.7%. Only California and Arizona had higher tuition raises.
However, locally, Macon State College has managed to buck that trend. Despite big jumps at other Georgia schools like UGA and Georgia Tech, Macon State's tuition only rose 2.5% last year, an increase of just $35 for the fall semester compared to last year.
On the first day of classes today, students said they weren't too worried about the increases. Ashley Holliday says she uses Pell Grants, and that those grants were able to cover the jump. "My refund's a little bit smaller, but it's not a huge deal. As long as it covers my college, I don't mind," she said.
65% of Macon State students use some type of financial aid. And with an economic climate like Macon's, students say policymakers should keep them in mind when making financial decisions.
"We have to be aware of some of the low students and some of the middle class students may not be able to pay the full amount of financial aid which might leave them outsdie of school so we just got to keep our education system together," says sophomore Justin Grove.