"A teacher in our college is paid 60 yuan per hour for class time, up from 20 yuan a few years ago," said Zeng Jing, a college teacher in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan province, which is also considering raising tuition. "The increase in cost is inevitable," Zeng said.

Even though the increase appears necessary, people are demanding to know the financial status of colleges.

About 77.7 percent of respondents in the survey said that colleges should publicize their costs before moving to raise tuition.

Others have pointed out that colleges' financial difficulties are not necessarily related to an increase in student costs.

Zeng Junsen, assistant research fellow with the Hunan Academy of Social Sciences, told Xinhua that many colleges are overstaffed and spend excessively on updating infrastructure, which leads to their financial problems.

"These problems should not be covered by students," Zeng said.

To ease the financial plight of colleges, 68 percent of survey respondents suggested more government spending. The second most popular solution, recommended by 66.9 percent of respondents, was for colleges to cut spending on receptions, public vehicles and overseas trips for faculty.

Experts suggested that colleges should regularly publish their budgets and expenses to win the public's trust, and education departments should fully consult and inform the public before tuition policies are made.