New reports released this week show that college tuition costs are up again this year and that students and families are looking more toward the federal government to help pay for higher education in hard economic times.

The average in-state tuition plus fees at public four-year colleges rose 7.9 percent this fall to $7,605, an increase of $555, according to a report by the College Board. The average cost for private nonprofit colleges rose $1,174, or 4.5 percent, to $27,293.

Government assistance and financial aid from schools can help reduce the cost many students pay, but experts warned that government financial aid can only go so far and higher tuition is in all more likely unless states increase their funding or schools make sharp cuts in costs.

“Just when Americans need college the most, many are finding it increasingly difficult to afford,” said Molly Corbett Broad, president of the American Council on Education.

When considering inflation, tuition increases at public four-year colleges was about 6.6 percent and at private colleges, it was 3.2 percent, according to the College Board.

Some students are seeing relief in bigger financial aid packages, including federal tax credits, veterans’ benefits and a large expansion of the Pell Grant program that aims to help low-income students. Last academic year, $28.2 billion in Pell Grants went to 7.7 million students, an increase of almost $10 billion, according to another report from the College Board.

Grant programs are covering a smaller portion of the cost of attending a public four-year college, just 34 percent compared with 45 percent 20 years ago.

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