Question
Diane has just turned 19 and also completed high school. She is wondering about the value of a college education. She is pretty good with
Diane has just turned 19 and also completed high school. She is wondering about the value of a college education. She is pretty good with numbers, and driven by financial considerations only, so she sits down to calculate whether it is worth the large sum of money involved. She knows that her first year tuition will be $12,000, due at the beginning of the year (that is, right away). Based on historical trends she estimates that tuition will rise at 6% per year for the 4 years she is in school. She also estimates that her living expense above and beyond tuition will be $7,000 per year (assume this occurs at the end of the year) for the first year and will increase $500 each year thereafter to keep up with inflation. She does not plan to work at all while attending school. Were she to forgo college she would be able to make $25,000 per year out of high school and expects that to grow 3% annually. With the college degree, she estimates that she will earn $46,000 per year out of college, again with annual 3% increases in salary. Either way, she plans to work until 64 (she begins college right away). The interest/discount rate is 8%. What is the NPV of her college education? (Note: All cash flows except tuition payments occur at the end of the year.)
Step by Step Solution
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Step: 1
1 Calculate the Cost of College Tuition Costs Year 1 12000 paid at the beginning of the year Year 2 12000 106 12720 Year 3 12720 106 1348320 Year 4 1348320 106 1429219 Living Expenses Year 1 7000 Year ...Get Instant Access to Expert-Tailored Solutions
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Step: 2
Step: 3
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