More College Students Living at Home

The New York Times reports:

About half of college students lived at home in the most recent academic year to cut education costs, an increase over the last two years, according to a new study from Sallie Mae, the student loan giant.

The increase is largely driven by students from more affluent families — those with incomes of $100,000 or more, the study found. Students from lower- and moderate-income families have typically lived at home for at least part of their college career. But more difficult economic times, and the increasing cost of a college degree, are prompting students from better-off families to live with their parents, too.

During the academic year ended in spring of 2012, almost half of students from high-income families lived at home, compared with about one-quarter two years ago.

That’s one reason the average amount families spent on college declined by 5 percent in 2012, to $20,902 — the second consecutive annual decline found by the study.

You might want to read Professor Glenn Reynolds timely book on higher education.