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Also on Tuesday, the AIAS released a survey of nearly 600 architecture school graduates showing that graduating architecture students carry a much higher amount of undergraduate student debt – $40,000 on average – than the national student loan debt average of $25,000. AIAS members plan to visit Capitol Hill in July to lobby lawmakers on these issues.
“There are numerous opportunities for young talented architects to use their skills to help rebuild our nation’s communities,” said AIA President Jeff Potter, FAIA. “Yet, more and more young architects are leaving the profession because they cannot afford to remain; this brain-drain will have major implications for our communities and the construction industry in the years ahead.”
“The AIA and AIAS are not asking for a handout; rather, we want Congress to provide the ability of architecture graduates to use their talents in underserved communities in exchange for debt assistance, just as Congress has provided for doctors, lawyers, teachers and others,” said Potter.
The survey also revealed that architecture students tend to face a large amount of hidden costs that are not part of the listed tuition fees of a program. Most architecture students annually spend at least $1000 materials for models and project submissions, $800 for textbooks and $1500 for technology that is required to produce the expected work. Over the course of a four year Bachelor’s program, this amounts to an additional $13,200 in related school costs for most architecture students, with a six-year Master’s course of study leading to $19,800.
“The current trends in the pursuit of Architecture as a career, and the realities of the current economy and the anticipated progression of the recovery, demanded that the AIAS look at our members’ perception and expectations for the future,” said AIAS President Nick Mancusi, Associate AIA. “In order to remain relevant, our organization and the profession as a whole needs to be aware of the next generation’s concerns and offer information and resources to support those capable and willing citizens as they graduate and engage with their community.”
