USC plans to increase tuition by another five percent for the 2024-2025 school year, and students are less than jovial about it.
The total cost of attendance will increase to $95,225, with the $69,904 tuition price tag making up the biggest chunk of that total cost.
“Some people don’t even see $95,000 to $100,000 in a full year of working a full-time job,” said Justin Childress, a senior majoring in business administration. “How the school expects that type of money each year is wild.”
USC’s tuition increase is similar to other private schools across the country like Duke University, Stanford, and Georgetown, which are all facing a hike of four to five percent from 2023-24 to 2024-25.
Childress is one of many students graduating this May and looking forward to his tuition not being increased next year.
“All I can do is say good luck to the students for next year and the years after,” Childress said. “I hope they realize how this affects every student regardless of their financial situation.”
USC released a statement on Tuesday and said that “USC’s undergraduate financial aid pool increases at the same rate as the tuition rate increase.” But some students covered by scholarships are worried and still unsure of what to think.
“I would need to see how my scholarship is affected by this increase to give a good reaction,” said Willie Duckworth III, a junior majoring in biotechnology who is on the Gates Millenium Scholarship — a scholarship provided to 20,000 students of color wanting to attend college. “But for the people that are only covered a little by scholarships who will be affected, I feel for them.”
Students without scholarships who are paying out of pocket also have questions about next year’s increase.
“What’s the point of an increase in tuition? It seems like the cost here goes up and no one explains why,” said Kai Hines, a sophomore majoring in international relations and global business who’s paying the full price of tuition. “It’s not easy paying out of pocket to attend USC.”
No further information was available on what specifically has inflated tuition costs, but the transportation fee on USC bills increased by $48 from $186 in 2023-24 to $234 in 2024-25, according to USC Public Relations.
But some students don’t want to hear about the small decreases in total cost. They said they would rather hear about what is being increased in their bills and why.
“My parents already pay an arm and a leg for me to go here so an increase doesn’t really make it easier,” said Hines.
Rising seniors who are on their way out of USC wonder how the rising costs could affect their last year.
“All four of my years at USC have been a slow increase in fees at the school and I always wonder why,” said Justice Crawford, a senior studying business administration and entrepreneurship and innovation. “I don’t want to have to worry about whether or not this affects me getting my degree after doing three years worth of work.”
As a racial minority at USC, Crawford said he also wonders how this will affect other minorities and their chances of affording to come here.
“As a Black student who is paying mostly out of pocket, I am one of few. There are a lot of Black students out there that cannot afford to pay the tuition even with the help of scholarships,” Crawford said. “I hope that USC takes this into consideration.”
Families and friends of students have also been affected by the increase, questioning if the education is worth the cost.
“My little brother is a senior in high school and didn’t want to apply here because of the worry of how expensive it’d be to have two kids here,” Hines said.
Childress even offered that nothing is guaranteed from this investment students and families make by attending school.
“USC is a great school, but there is no guaranteed job right out of college that will give you a return on this investment,” Childress said. “USC does a good job with trying to help with those connections, but nothing is guaranteed.”