Costs of Higher Education

As the Asian Pacific Fund scholarship programs grow in number and expand in scope, we have had the opportunity to meet some wonderfully talented students. At the same time, our scholars’ experiences have reminded us of the difficulties many college students encounter and the concerns they have about school, their families and their future. We decided to look more deeply at the problems and solutions for this issue of Asian Outlook.

The content here is drawn from information provided by government agencies, advocacy and service organizations, and mainstream media. We also interviewed several Asian American experts on financial aid and college student mental health problems. To learn more about the challenges that Asian American students face today, download the articles or read the full report. 

Please click here to view the full report.

Correction: Since publication, the American Association of Community Colleges has reported that some of the statistics it provided were incorrect. The amount $9,592 was cited as the average cost of annual tuition and fees at a public four-year college in California. This amount is actually the average annual cost of tuition, fees, and room and board in 2000-2001. This correction does not change the fact that the cost of higher education has risen sharply in recent years and continues to grow more expensive. For the 2007-2008 academic year, for example, it cost $23,051 to attend UC Irvine and $18,195 to attend San Jose State University.