ALLENDALE, MI -- As Grand Valley State University prepares to set its annual tuition rate Friday, federal data makes clear who at the school has been hit hardest by rising costs: Low-income students.

Between 2010-11 and 2013-14, students whose families have an income of $30,000 or less saw their average net-price climb by $2,372, or 25 percent, federal data show.

That's more than any other income group, including students whose families earn more than $110,000 annually.

It's a troubling trend for students who struggle to pay for college.

"You would assume there would be the least increase in that group," said DeAndreah Hollowell, a junior who's studying women, gender and sexuality studies. "Those students and families within that bracket are struggling to make ends meet."

Net-price is the total annual cost of tuition, fees, room, board, books and other expenses, minus state, federal and institutional grants and scholarships. Data on net-price by income group only include first-time, full-time students who receive federal financial aid.



Related: Search college costs by income group at Michigan's public universities

Although costs for low-income students at GVSU have climbed more quickly, they still pay less than their wealthy counterparts.

For example, the average net-price for a student whose family income is $30,000 or less is $11,792. A student whose family earns more than $110,000 annually has an average net-price of $20,850, according to federal data.

Still, the trend of rising costs among low-income students is discouraging, because affordability is a significant concern among prospective college students, said Brandy Johnson, executive director of the Michigan College Access Network.

"We know price is what is self-reported as the No. 1 barrier for students making the decision to not pursue postsecondary education," Johnson said.

She added: "There is a significant gap between low-income students that pursue college after high school and their more affluent counterparts. Economics and affordability and finances are obviously a huge part of that."

Other Michigan public universities have also seen higher price hikes among low-income students.

Between 2010-11 and 2013-14, the average net-price actually dropped among high-income students at Western Michigan University. On the other hand, low-income students saw their average net-price climb by $1,406, according to federal data.

The trend also played at University of Michigan-Dearborn. Low-income students saw their average net-price climb by about $1,000 more than students from the top of the income ladder.

Related: College affordability: Low-income students bearing brunt of price hikes at some West Michigan schools

Michelle Rhodes, director of financial aid at GVSU, said her university works hard to keep tuition affordable for all students, including those who struggle financially.

She said it's difficult to pinpoint exactly what caused the price hikes among low-income students.

Some likely contributors: State aid that hasn't kept up with enrollment growth, as well as a drop in grants and scholarships from the state of Michigan. Federal grants for low-income students also haven't kept pace with rising tuition, she said.

Rhodes wasn't immediately able to say by how much state grants and scholarships have dropped at GVSU between 2013-14 and 2010-11. But she said there has been a decline, even if only slightly.

Some experts suggest the trend in rising price hikes among low-income students is a result of universities devoting more financial aid to merit-based scholarships, as opposed to need-based aid.

Rhodes said GVSU strives to help low-income students through need-based aid, but that it's also important that the university offer merit-based scholarships to deserving students.

"We try to offer both types of aid to our students," Rhodes said. "Each year, we critically take a look at where we should offer the money. I think, truthfully, we do a good job of supporting our neediest students."

Johnson, of the Michigan College Access Network, said it's not just colleges that should draw scrutiny for rising costs among low-income students. The state of Michigan deserves criticism, too.

Michigan ranks 41st nationally on the amount of per-capita grants and scholarships offered to college students, according to a report by the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs.

"The colleges get a lot of blame, but the state of Michigan has to be on the hook for some of that blame," Johnson said. "Colleges are having to make harder decisions about how to distribute their resources in an era of big decreases or only really tiny increases in their funding that the state provides."

Regardless of who's to blame, low-income students are hopeful the trend of rising costs will subside.

Deva Hull, a senior at GVSU who's studying sociology, said college costs are climbing, while wages at many lower-paying jobs have stayed flat. That's a problem for students like her, whose parents have modest incomes.

"When you have a steady increase on the cost of college, you're tightening what little money you have," she said.

Brian McVicar covers education for MLive and The Grand Rapids Press. Email him at bmcvicar@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter