Virginia colleges and universities claim to be not-for-profit, but where then does the money that they gouge out of the pockets of students and their families go? Virginia tuition ranges from less than $4,000 in schools such as Norfolk State University to over $46,000 in private schools like the University of Richmond. Most public universities fall in the $10,000-$15,000 range, but that is just for tuition. It does not factor in the cost of room and board, furniture, and amenities.

Although already ridiculously high, the cost of education continues to rise every year. Several Virginia schools such as George Mason University, James Madison University, and Virginia Commonwealth University have seen tuition increases in the past couple years. According to an article in the Richmond-Times Dispatch, just this month Virginia Commonwealth University board of visitors met to discuss a prospective tuition increase for the 2016-2017 year that would increase in-state tuition by 2.8%. This would make in-state tuition over $13,000 for VCU students. Students have responded angrily to this proposed tuition hike. During the board of visitors meeting, students stood in the room, holding signs protesting the rise in prices. Although peaceful through the majority of the meeting, as it drew to a close students began speaking out in disapproval about the price gouging. The students mentioned things such as unnecessary spending on furniture for administrative and board rooms as well as the high salaries of the President of the college and other administrators. VCU President Michael Rao gets paid over $500,000 a year. With its location in urban Richmond, students already struggle with a high cost of living, and a raise in tuition could just tip them over the edge, causing them to give up their future plans to avoid crippling financial debt.

http://www.richmond.com/news/local/education/article_60fadd46-2b92-5405-a4a0-529b2598fa27.html

VCU actually comes in second on the list of most expensive public universities in the state of Virginia. According to CollegeCalc.org, the public school with the highest tuition rate for the 2014-2015 school year is actually right in our backyard. The College of William and Mary has the highest cost, charging students over $29,000 in tuition, room, and board. VCU comes in second with a total cost of almost $26,000. Third on the list is the Virginia Military Institute, located in Lexington, Virginia, which charges in-state residents $25,000 per year.

http://www.collegecalc.org/lists/virginia/most-expensive-in-state-total/

In-state tuition and fees to Virginia schools may seem high, but what about the cost for those students who are hoping to further their education at a university out of the state? Multiple Lafayette seniors have been accepted at colleges across the country. Some of them will go to these schools despite the cost, but others have to decline their acceptance due to an inability to pay the high tuition rates.

Senior Sydney Cole was fortunate enough to receive acceptance into the architecture program at Louisiana State University, where tuition and fees cost over $42,000 for out-of-state students, according to collegedata.com.

http://www.collegedata.com/cs/search/college/college_match_tmpl.jhtml

After applying for federal aid and several scholarships, Cole was still unable to come up with the necessary funds to attend the Louisiana school of her dreams.

“Since freshman year I was looking forward to going to LSU for multiple reasons, including the academics and social climate down there because of the people I know there. However, because I didn’t get enough financial aid, I can’t afford to pay off high student loans right after college, especially if I plan to take a year after college to travel to different countries to help others and give back,” said Cole.

After debating for weeks about whether or not she should take out a multitude of loans to cover her tuition at LSU, Cole decided to go to Virginia Tech instead because it was a more affordable choice. Virginia Tech actually lies close to the bottom of the list of most expensive Virginia colleges according to CollegeCalc.org. Tuition and fees at Tech are around $21,000 per year.

As difficult and unfortunate as the high tuition costs are for current and prospective college students, there is little that can be done. Students have no power against the university system, which currently holds a monopoly on education.