College students across the nation continue to worry about rising tuition costs, special fees they are charged for classes and the amount they spend to cover textbook costs. Students are acquiring alarming amounts of debt when they graduate and many are left with the struggle of finding a job within their degrees in this economy.

In 2012, college seniors graduated with an average of $27,000 in student loan debt and 54 percent of Alabama college graduates had loan debt, according to CCNMoney.com.

“I do worry about the amount of debt students take on in order to earn a degree, and I am concerned about the rising costs of textbooks,” said Pam Kingsbury, UNA English instructor.

Universities are beginning to lower tuition costs for students majoring in areas like science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in order to entice students to study areas that are in high demand for jobs and to balance the cost of supplies to teach these courses.

By this perspective, an English major should pay more in tuition costs than a nursing major. Many students and faculty disagree with this line of thought. While tuition costs are on the rise and students are required to pay special fees in order to attend UNA, some on campus believe there are ways around these costs.

“Scholarship in all areas is what makes the world and human beings special,” said Marilyn Lee, UNA Department of Nursing chair.

By receiving scholarships, students of any major are able to take some, if not all, of the burden off of paying for tuition each semester and the risk of going into debt.

Some students believe that because of the special fees and technology to teach particular classes, some majors should be charged less in tuition compared to other majors.

“I was fortunate enough to receive a full-tuition scholarship, so I’ve never had the burden of figuring out tuition money,” said UNA nursing student Miranda Eddy. “I know how much we have to pay with fees for the classes, clinical, equipment, uniforms and the exams we have to take. I do believe there is some inequality of costs among different majors.”

By lowering tuition for STEM majors because of the special fees they are required to pay and the cost to teach these courses, more students may be inclined to study in these types of fields. With tuition costs continuing to rise and student debt accumulating, students may be interested in studying a STEM major to avoid going into debt.