The University of Delaware (UD) has increased tuition and mandatory fee for the fall term by 3.7 percent or about $430 for in-state students and $1,150 for out-of-state students. The tuition hike proposed for in-state students is considered to be the lowest percent increase in a decade.

The tuition and fee at UD for in-state undergraduate residents totals $12,112 compared to last year's tuition of $11,682., while the out-of-state undergraduate students will pay $29,932, a 4 percent rise from the previous year.

The university officials defended the hikes by saying that the tuition increases are necessary to compensate for state budget cuts and to pay for financial aid, employee salaries and benefits and daily operations at the university.

Two months ago, the university officials also increased dining costs by an average of 3.5 percent and residence hall fees average 4.5 percent. However, the room and board costs depend upon the options the student selects.

As a result, the in-state and out-of-state students, overall, will shell out $23,312 and $41,132 respectively that includes tuition, fees, room and board.

The graduate students will also be facing the heat, beginning fall term, as they will dispense $1,578 per credit hour, an increase of $65 or 4.25 percent.

Tuition hikes have become quite the norm these days. In the last decade, tuition for Delawareans has increased in total by 74 percent, while out-of-state students' tuition has gone up by 80 percent.

"More money, more problems," said freshman Peter Thistle, 19, of Pittsburgh. "For me, it's dollars and cents. I mean, I'll have to find other ways to...make the difference."

With the help of scholarships, loans and parents' aid, Thistle is confident of paying up his tuition. However, he fears for students coming from lower income families, who will not be able to afford the pricey tuition.

"Some of who are less fortunate will have a hard time getting in here because they can't pay the tuition or they can't get a scholarship, so I think that could detract from the university if there's someone who should be in here but just can't afford it," Thistle said.

Paul Luongo, a UD alumnus from Wilmington and a worried parent, was unhappy with the tuition hike. His daughter is a sophomore at the school.

"They're skyrocketing," Luongo said. "Education costs too much. It just costs too much here at Delaware or anywhere."

Tags Tuition, Undergrads, Students, University of delaware, Fall, Fee