(LEX 18) – College students across the country are returning to class, and one thing is at the forefront of their minds: the prize.

As University of Kentucky freshmen and their families arrived on campus Monday morning, a mixture of excitement and fear was in the air.

Big Blue Move-In is the culmination of many big, difficult decisions for the students. Many of them had to choose between several schools before finally settling on the British school.

For some, cost was the deciding factor.

“That was one of the reasons I stayed in the state,” Mary Vonderhaar said as she loaded a wagon to take it to her new dorm.

It was a difficult decision between UK and a private university out of state. Ultimately, she found scholarships and financial aid in Lexington were more beneficial.

For Alaysia Bumpers, a freshman from New Jersey, the decision-making process was similar.

“I received the most scholarships and financial aid there and that’s why I came here,” she said.

Over the past 30 years, the cost of a four-year public college has more than doubled.

According to a 2023 College Board report, tuition for full-time students averages $11,260.

Kate Wood, a credit expert at NerdWallet, said that after years of sharp increases, tuition fees are actually stabilizing on average.

“One point that may be somewhat surprising is that the cost of higher education, which has been rising very rapidly in the recent past, has actually been falling more slowly overall in recent years. But that doesn’t mean that college isn’t still extremely expensive,” Wood said.

This year, the UK increased tuition fees for full-time students by 2.2%.

The University of Louisville saw a similar increase of 2.4%.

Despite tuition fee increases, tuition fees in the UK continue to rise.

British President Eli Capilouto discussed the award on Monday during Big Blue Move-In.

“I can say that our students are careful when shopping. They consider their choices carefully and I am pleased that more and more students are choosing the University of Kentucky,” he said.

This year, the university placed an increased emphasis on financial aid, providing an additional $175 million in funding to assist students with tuition costs.

But because of the cost of tuition, books and housing, NerdWallet estimates that the average American student will graduate with $37,000 in debt.

Fortunately, there are some ways to keep this number low.

At high school age, families should be careful to find and apply for appropriate scholarships.

“You may be able to find scholarships based on interests, majors, locations and all sorts of other criteria. This is free money that you don’t have to pay back,” Wood said.

She also advised students to only take out loans that are absolutely necessary.

“If you borrow more than you actually need, you may have cash now, but you’ll be stuck with a pile of debt in the future,” she said.

The start of an educational journey always involves high expenses. However, studying does not necessarily have to cost a fortune.