WICHE Insights | Tuition and Fees in the West, 2017-18: Trends and Implications

This WICHE Insights reviews the results of WICHE’s annual survey of tuition and fees at public postsecondary institutions in the WICHE region in the context of state higher education finance policy.

In light of steady increases in tuition and fees rates, modest growth in state appropriations, and varied state financial aid availability, rising postsecondary costs for students and families remain a top concern. All aspects of state higher education finance policy are impacted by fiscal changes at the federal and state levels. How those changes will affect tuition and fees, appropriations, and financial aid in the future is unclear, but recent trends have direct implications for postsecondary affordability and access.