ROANOKE (WSLS 10) -Â The cost of college continues to rise. Virginia public institutions are, on average, among the nation's most expensive for students. Virginia comes in as the 5th most expensive in the country. Tuition and fees have increased more than 150 percent over the last 25 years.
Steak and lobster for dinner, pools and state of the art gyms. These are just a few of the things we found that you're paying for on Virginia campuses.
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"Some of the things you're paying for it are really weird," said Samantha Hart, a Virginia Tech freshman.
"It's pretty rough. It's just getting more and more expensive, they keep adding fees on and you don't know what they're going to but they just keep raising the price of tuition," said Ilyes Adjerid, who is taking a break from getting a mechanical engineering degree at Virginia Tech. "I decided to take the semester off and I am just kind of working, getting my credit back up, get some money and I hopefully get some loans."
Virginia college costs continue to rise--- up an average of seven percent every year for the past decade according to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).
The average 4-year school in Virginia works out to $11,592.
- Virginia Tech $12,485
- Virginia Military Institute $16,536
- Radford University $9,809
Add in room and board and the prices rise to an average of $21,228 per year. You could buy a new loaded Corvette Stingray with money left over.
"There is for some families a sticker shock as we call it when they get that bill and they see us talking about tuition and fees," said Beth Armstrong, the Virginia Tech Director of University Scholarships and Financial Aid.
The price you pay isn't just for classes and professors. We found out it also includes a lot of extras. There are mandatory fees to support athletics, health services, transportation and paying off new buildings. All this paid for almost entirely by student revenue meaning students are paying for the experience. A Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) Report commissioned by Virginia lawmakers says spending by schools increased mostly on non-academic services.
SCHEV shows Radford students pay fees totaling nearly $2,967 which includes almost $1,200 for athletics. At Virginia Tech it's nearly $1,857. As the money keeps adding up students are walking away with more and more debt.
"It's obviously a real concern. It's a concern to all of us at Virginia Tech," said Armstrong who says her offices provide student loan data to the Board of Visitors, the group that sets tuition rates.
Current Hokies took out more than $93-million in loans in the 2013 academic year.
"There is a borrowing issue but we have to make sure we're looking at why students are borrowing. It's very easy for students to accidentally over borrow," said Armstrong.
Schools point to the drop in state support for the rising costs. At Radford University over the last ten years state support dropped from more than 50-percent to less than 40-percent putting the burden on families and student loans to make up the difference.
"It's honestly terrifying because no one's going to help you and you have to do it yourself," said Hart.
"Next thing you know you're just in debt when you get out by 40-50 K and that's a small number compared to other colleges," said Adjerid.
We asked for interviews with decision makers at Virginia Tech and Radford but didn't get an interview. Schools say they're providing what students want like better dorms and more activities on campus. With Virginia Tech's record enrollment this year and record applications cost doesn't seem to be a factor for many.
So what's the solution? That is what lawmakers are talking about right now at the Virginia and U.S. capitols.