Graduating BA Seniors Say Money Main Factor In College Decision

As thousands of Green Country seniors are handed diplomas this week, it won't be long before many are handed a bill.

College costs are skyrocketing, and graduates are now thinking about how they're going to paying for an education that's more expensive than ever, and studies show the price of college will only increase.

Tuesday night 1,100 Broken Arrow seniors graduated, each with a bright future.

For many, that future includes college, and figuring out how to pay for it isn't easy; which is why the graduating seniors said money was the number one factor in deciding which college to attend.

Gabriel Sams has a track scholarship to Emporia State in Kansas, one of the country's most affordable colleges.

"That had a big influence on where I went to college actually, because Emporia State is $13,000 a year, and that's a lot cheaper than other schools," Sams said.

Kaleb Betts said price played a big role in his choice of a school too.

"Where I got the most scholarship is like where I picked, pretty much, and then, yeah, my parents will help me out and then I'll work," said Betts.

Forbes said the average cost for public college is $28,000 a year, and $59,000 a year for private college.

Kevin Cox said his daughter, Sarah, got into Southern Methodist University, but it costs $60,000 a year. She chose the University of Oklahoma which is much more affordable at $18,000 a year.

"Out of 1,100 students, she was number 58. And she got scholarships for private school, but even with scholarships - almost $30,000 in scholarships - it was still too expensive," Cox said.

Forbes projects, by 2030, a four-year public college will cost $73,006 a year, and an elite private college will cost $132,509 a year.

Students said it's disappointing because almost no one can afford an education at that price.

"I think it's unfair to a lot of people that it's so expensive, because if they're not financially well off or even on the poor side, then there's nothing really they can do," said Sams.

Of course there are grants, scholarships, need-based financial aid and federal student aid.

Almost every student we talked to said they're taking advantage of some kind of scholarship opportunity.