College students are enjoying their first few days back on campus.
Many realize that not everyone has the money for this experience.
"Some people can't get the opportunity I got to come to this college," said one student.
A few years ago, during the pandemic, many colleges and universities froze their tuition, giving students a break.
Now most of those freezes have been lifted, and the sticker price of an undergraduate degree has gone up again.
According to the College Board, students will pay $11,610 per year on average in tuition and fees at public, in-state schools, and $30,780 for out-of-state public schools.
Some elite private colleges are now approaching $100,000 per year in tuition, room and board.
Freshman Olivia Foster said an in-state public school was her only option.
"You have to scout for all those scholarships, that's what me and my mom did," Foster said.
Anthony Stewart spent his first two years at a community college, knowing that what counts is where you graduated from.
"I highly recommend it to people. Two years and then go to the main campus," Stewart said.
Watch as Bankrate explains how to keep college costs down:
Don't panic over the sticker price
But Mark Hamrick with Bankrate said the high tuition numbers we're seeing are the sticker price, not what students actually pay.
"They need to truly do their homework on the cost of education at a given institution, as well as the net cost, meaning what happens after financial aid is granted," Hamrick said.
Hamrick said the first step is understanding that an elite school isn't appropriate for every student.
Bankrate advises prospective students to look into merit scholarships and consider private schools offering generous financial aid packages. Students should also seek out work study and gap-year programs where they can earn tuition money.
"Know what the capability is of a given student, and that is informed by the application process, their performance on entrance exams, and I would say, of course, the all-important campus visit," Hamrick said.
Bankrate suggests you also fill out the annual FAFSA financial aid forms as soon as possible, when they open in October.
Bankrate has a full write-up of how to qualify for the most financial aid HERE.
Affording a four-year undergraduate education isn't an option for many students.
"Could you afford $20,000 in tuition? No, probably not," one student told us.
The bottom line: look at all your options, and find out which schools may give you the most money, so you don't waste your money.
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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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