Congrats, grad! Now here’s the bill - Montana Budget

It’s graduation season, and we would like to extend a big congratulations to all the college graduates earning their diplomas this month! A college degree – whether an associate’s, bachelor’s or advanced degree – is a solid investment for future lifetime earnings. But that lifetime investment is getting harder for many students to obtain. Nationwide, we hear about more students financing their college education through loans and being saddled with debt when they enter the workforce. But what does this problem of student debt look like in Montana? Compared to colleges and universities in neighboring states, Montana’s tuition levels have stayed relatively low. The average tuition and fees for an in-state freshman at UM or MSU is $6,399, over $1,500 less than the average for schools in the rest of the region. While the tuition and fees paid by Montana students have increased by 55% in the past decade, that is a lot less than the 110% in other states. However, Montana students have higher debt loads than the national average. http://www.montanabudget.org/congrats-grad-now-heres-the-bill/