IndexWhy college tuition has increased over the years since the baby boom eraIncreasing the number of students has increased college costsWays students can pay For their college tuition ConclusionWhen baby boomers entered college in the 1960s and 1970s, most of them paid very little tuition at public institutions (Salam, 2012). Additionally, they received very generous grants from the federal and state governments and were able to pay for their graduate degrees. However, over time, baby boomers rose to power as state legislators or even as college administrators and presidents. They have since dramatically withdrawn financial aid and also increased college tuition, presiding over the collapse of the foundational and essential elements of the Higher Education Act. Baby boomers were also able to pay for college tuition with money earned from working during the summer (Collinge,2012). However, over time, the government cut funding for higher education. Colleges then raised tuition fees, and the millennial generation was forced to take out education loans that still burden many people (Salam, 2012). This essay will examine some of the reasons why college tuition has increased in the last two years compared to the baby boom era of college tuition. We will also look at some of the ways college students can pay college tuition. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Why college tuition has increased over the years since the baby boom era FinancialAid is now seen as an enrollment tool and not a public service A policy that helps people afford college tuition. During the baby boom era, when the Higher Education Act was signed and became law, many viewed financial aid as one of the ways to help needy students free up their college tuition. However, today financial aid is seen as a recruiting tool for smart students by most colleges. According to Dynarski (2015), in the 1990s, very few freshmen at private universities received merit aid from the government. Over time, that number has increased, and universities now compete to grab students by offering them scholarships regardless of whether they need them or not. Currently, public universities offer scholarships to students by providing them with aid dollars. According to Salam (2012), one in five colleges provides merit aid to their freshmen without financial need. Because most financial aid dollars are used as merit aid, low-income students who cannot make up the gap between aid and tuition costs cannot access these college funds. Therefore, they end up in cheaper colleges where their chances of graduating are minimal or they give up on college in the long term. The increase in the number of students has increased college costs As stated by Collinge (2012), the number of students enrolled in college has increased by 50% since 1995. More students admitted means that colleges will have to pay for more food, more teachers, more housing and even more facilities. With the large increase in public funding, institutions have found it difficult to cover costs as funding per student has decreased. However, it can be argued that universities should not hire more people than.