The Utah Board of Regents last week voted to raise undergraduate tuition costs by three percent at Utah colleges and Universities.
Some programs at the University of Utah will be raised by a whopping 20 percent.
What does this mean to struggling students?
Ruth Todd takes a look in today's Family Now report.
Nathan Foote attends the Univeristy of Utah Medical School.
He and his wife Tammy, and their two children live on an extremely tight budget.
The tuition hike means the Footes will be paying an extra $2,500 a year for Nathan's education.
"We already live on just about the bare minimum. About the only thing we could change is moving to a cheaper residence," they say. "In the end we'll have increased our debt by $5,000, which means down the road for us it will require $10,000 to pay that back."
Along with the Medical school, five other graduate-level health sciences programs at the U of U will raise tuition by $2,500 next year.
The University says the increase will bring its graduate tuition at or near the average for the rest of the nation.
Many students wonder if they'll receive any benefits in the long run.
Dr. Richard Sperry, the Interim V.P. for the Health Sciences Department assure them, "In the school of medicine, those 400 students will directly receive improved education and a higher quality of education."
Foote understands the need for the increase, but feels it should have been gradual. "I think the challenge comes with the increase all at once, and that's going to be the bulk of the burden. I think if it were a graduated increase it would be a little bit easier for the students to bear."
"We recognize that a tuition jump of any magnitude hurts and this is a large one, and it's one that frankly should've been placed gradually over several years," Sperry admits.
But he says the mechanisms needed to keep the money within the school of medicine were not in place until now.
Even with understanding from University administrators, it doesn't help the Foote family.
"We're already pinched as it is, but we'll do the best that we can with what we have. So we are going to grin and bear it and do the best we can," they say.
Details of U of U Tuition Increase
