The True Costs of College

This book examines the true costs of attendance faced by low- and moderate-income students on four public college campuses, and the consequences of these costs on students’ academic pathways and their social, financial, health, and emotional well-being. The authors’ exploration of the true costs of academics, living expenses, and student services leads them to conclude that current college policies and practices do not support low-income and otherwise marginalized students’ well-being or success. To counter this, they suggest that reform efforts should begin by asking value-based questions about the goals of public higher education, and end by crafting class-responsive policies. They propose three tools that policymakers can use to do this work, and steps that every person can take to revitalize public support for public education, equity-producing policies, and democratic participation in the public arena.

• Student debt
• tuition
• student wellbeing
• college affordability
• LGBTQI

• University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, USA

  Nancy Kendall

• Grand Valley State University, Allendale, USA

  Denise Goerisch

• University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA

  Esther C. Kim

• Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, USA

  Franklin Vernon

• Center for College-Workforce Transitions, Madison, USA

  Matthew Wolfgram

Nancy Kendall is Professor and Chair of the Department of Educational Policy Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA.

Denise Goerisch is Assistant Professor in the Department of Integrative, Religious, and Intercultural Studies at Grand Valley State University, USA

Esther C. Kim is Adjunct Professor in the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California, USA.  

Franklin Vernon is Faculty in the Department of Geography, Planning, and Recreation, as well is in the Interdisciplinary Health PhD Program, at Northern Arizona University, USA.

Matthew Wolfgram is Senior Researcher in the Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions, at the Wisconsin Center for Educational Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA.

Policies and ethics