Gus Bode, every Daily Egyptian reader’s best friend, has been attending SIU for longer than most of us have been alive. So the question is, how much has he spent on tuition?

When asked this question, Bode responded “no comment.” It’s no secret tuition prices have increased over the years, but by how much?

When Gus first showed up at the doorstep of the DE back in 1956, tuition was just $60 a semester. Over the next 20 years that price doubled, coming in at about $115.50.

Advertisement

The price stayed under $1,000, until 1991 when it increased from $951.70 to $1,172.

Whether it was inflation, corporate greed or schools scrambling for cash in the decline of Illinois’ economy, prices continued to go up. By the year 2000, the once outrageous price from the previous decade quadrupled to $4,111.

Crunching all the numbers gathered from archived SIU Bulletin reports, Gus Bode’s total tuition for his 63 years of schooling is approximately $223,036.53.
Interestingly enough, 59% of that sum was from the past 10 years.

Despite the horrendous debt, Bode plans on continuing his education indefinitely in order to become the smartest man on earth.

Erin Douglas, Ad Production Manager, can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @erindouglas_DE.

To stay up to date with all your southern Illinois news, follow the Daily Egyptian on Facebook and Twitter.

Advertisement*

Advertisement