For example, in the 1994-1995 academic year, the average tuition at public institutions of higher education was $5,964 (U.S. Department of Education, nd). However, during the 2012-2013 academic year, average tuition increased by 152 percent to a whopping $15,022 (U.S. Department of Education, 2015). Going back to 1987 and 2012, tuition costs increased by 336.6 percent, outpacing mortgage debt by 0.2 percent (Strohush and Wanner, 2015). While some may agree, increasing tuition is justified, such as a higher budget to compensate for highly qualified faculty, gym memberships to contribute to good health, new construction to maintain a campus up to date or health insurance. to help pay for the cost of illness. However, these additional amenities do not increase the value of the degree, nor the return on investment of high tuition fees.