(The Center Square) – A new survey shows that 1 in 4 college students have to drop classes due to high tuition rates and rising inflation.

The survey of over 1,000 college students was done by Intelligent.com and showed that nearly 1 in 4 students would be forced to drop some or all of their classes if their tuition costs increased by 5%.

Ashli Smith, a spokesperson with Intelligent, said rising inflation on tuition is becoming a problem for many students.

“Inflation is continuing to rise to 9% across the country,” Smith told The Center Square. “This puts universities and students in a tough position because a tuition increase will affect many students.”

Smith explained that many students have to trim their budgets in other areas just to afford their classes.

“Students have to get an extra job, or they are reducing their spending on food or leisurely activities,” Smith said. “Those are some of the sacrifices some students have been forced to make due to the tuition increase.”

An Illinois Policy Institute analysis from April shows that tuition has increased by 49% at Illinois public universities in the past 15 years.

According to ValuePenguin, the average in-state tuition in Illinois is fifth-most expensive in the nation and the highest in the Midwest. IPI said that’s due in part to high pension costs.

State Universities Retirement System pension payments made up just 10% of state higher education spending in 2007. Now, they take 49% of those dollars.

More money spent on the pension system means less money for the school and, in return, more money to be paid through tuition.

Over the past 15 years and adjusted for inflation, Northern Illinois University tuition increased 175%, the University of Illinois-Springfield saw its tuition increase by 75%. Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville saw a 70% increase, and Illinois State University saw a 46% increase.