3
riSing COStS
Nationally, rising costs of tuition, housing, textbooks, and other
college-related expenses have put stress on the everyday college
student. Scholarship programs have become even more critical to
allow individuals to remain students at their university. Members
at Alpha Sigma Chapter and students at Bradley University
are no different. In the chart below you can see the rising costs
of tuition over time and how that applies in different decades
throughout our chapter's history.
grOwing COllege deBt
Growing college debt is a national
trend. Since 2004, the average amount
of student debt at graduation has grown
56 percent—more than double the
rate of inflation. Bradley University
students face the same challenges as their
peers nationwide and debt owed aer
graduation has continued to grow.
Bradley University average debt of graduates (2017): $28,432
Proportion of graduates with debt (2017): 71%
*e Institute for College Access & Success
(https://ticas.org/posd/map-state-data#overlay=posd/state_data/2018/il)
Because our fraternity is an
extracurricular organization that needs
membership dues to fund its operations,
these trends of increased costs hit our
members hard. It is heartbreaking to see
men who would be great members of
eta Xi decline membership or choose to
leave for financial reasons. Our brothers
operate on a sound budget and stretch
every penny, but there are opportunities
for great men we are missing.
*Pulled from historical Bradley University tuition public data (https://www.bradley.edu/dotAsset/a13c4c1d-975c-40c6-b171-02649479618f.pdf )
OUr needS And OppOrtUnitieS
Year Tuition and Room and Total Total (Adjusted % Change from 19-20 School Year
Fees Board for Inflation) (Based on Previous Column)
2019-20 $34,200 $10,940 $45,140 - -
2015-16 $31,480 $9,700 $41,180 $44,503 1.41%
2010-2011 $25,424 $7,950 $33,374 $39,203 13.15%
2000-2001 $14,610 $5,460 $20,070 $29,853 33.87%
1990-1991 $8,534 $3,750 $12,284 $24,073 46.67%
1980-1981 $3,626 $1,710 $5,336 $16,587 63.25%
1970-1971 $1,900 $945 $2,845 $18,781 58.39%
1960-1961 $650 $710 $1,360 $11,768 73.93%
1950-1951 $400 $470 $870 $9,246 79.52%
