Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/college-students-squeezed-by-rising-costs-less-aid Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Transcript More college students and their families are struggling to afford tuition at public institutions due to increasing costs and state funding cuts in education. John Tulenko of Learning Matters Television takes a look at the impact of rising higher education costs in the second of a two-part series. Read the Full Transcript Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors. JIM LEHRER: Now, the second of our stories on the rising costs of higher education. Last night, it was the burden of growing student debt. Tonight, the matching effects on public colleges and universities.John Tulenko of Learning Matters Television, which produces education stories for the NewsHour, has our report. JOHN TULENKO, Learning Matters Television: Back in September, Kristina Hofsaess was starting college. MOM OF STUDENT: First time away from home. JOHN TULENKO: But she wasn't moving into a college dormitory. Her home is five miles off campus at a La Quinta motel.Kristina's college, Montclair State University in New Jersey, is housing some 200 students here after running out of room in dorms. KRISTINA HOFSAESS, student: I definitely imagined going to campus, staying in a dorm, but there's just so many students. JOHN TULENKO: Enrollment is surging at the nation's 643 public colleges and universities. That's a result of tough times. Montclair State's president Susan Cole.SUSAN COLE, president, Montclair State University: When people are losing their jobs, being laid off, uncertain about what the economy is going to bring, they turn to higher education in order to prepare themselves better to compete. JOHN TULENKO: About 60 percent of students have turned to public colleges, increasingly because of the price, tuition and fees that average just $6,500 a year. ADRIANNE MOE, student: When I was looking for schools, my dad was out of work. At the time, I knew that it was slightly tight and that we needed to be efficient in where we were looking. JOHN TULENKO: Students are also transferring in from private colleges. LIAM DRISLANE, student: I came to Montclair because it's about half the cost. JOHN TULENKO: How much did you save? LIAM DRISLANE: Probably over $20,000 a year. The loans were obscene.