Oklahoma has slashed funding for higher education by over 25 percent since 2008. In response, each public university has raised tuition, but the cuts have had a disproportionate effect on the state’s 11 regional institutions and the students they serve.

At Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, the cost of a bachelor’s degree has gone up significantly in the last decade. The school has raised tuition and fees by 75 percent since 2008. At the same time, real household incomes have actually decreased in much of the NSU’s service area according to an analysis from the U.S. Census Bureau.

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