With the economy in peril, education looks to hold strong even as costs rise.

The average private college tuition now costs more than $25,000, a 5.9 percent increase from last year.

Compared to roughly $6,500 for tuition at a public institution, which has also increased by six percent, the cost difference is dramatic.

But with more students turning to financial aid and other forms over government or state financial support, is there enough money to go around?

Leatha Webster, University of La Verne director of financial aid thinks so.

“Currently we are fine,” said Webster, director of financial aid. “We are not experiencing any shortfall. Eighty percent of students at the school receive some sort of aid through this office.”

While the number of people applying for financial aid has risen, so has the number of students who have either lost their own jobs or have had a parent lose a job.

The office then re-evaluates a student’s eligibility and socio-economic standing, which can offer either a greater amount of funds or other programs

Rod Moore, a spokesman for the Federal Student Aid Information Center, said his group has seen the numbers increase as well, but that he does not anticipate a shortfall in funds.

“As long as there are students applying, the department will have money to facilitate their needs,” Moore said.

Students have also seen these times bring upon certain difficulties, from cutting out unnecessary expenditures to moving back home to save money.

Senior social science major Jacqueline Loya receives financial aid to cover costs.

Loya supplemented it with a work-study job at the Office of Student Life, but has seen her hours cut.

“There used to be a lot of hours to go around, but now I can only do 20 hours a week. Any hours over that are now taken out of the departments budget, not the work-study funds,” Loya said.

The work-study program as a whole though has had to tighten its belt and clean house so it could save money.

The allocation changes for work-study every year.

This year, because of less money, the financial aid office reevaluated how hours was to be spread among students.

“We wanted to take care of students who applied to work study, but also had to let students go who weren’t fulfilling there obligations to it,” Webster said.

With the consensus being that although there is an air of worry, most institutions are coming to a similar bottom line – that if students are still applying, the money will always be available.

“We want people to stay in school and focus on getting an education and send them out of here to become good and productive citizens.”

David deBos can be reached at david.debos@laverne.edu