The table lists the annual cost of tuition and fees at private four-year colleges for
selected years. (Source: The College Board.)
Year 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2013
Tuition & Fees $16,072 $18,060 $20,045 $22,308 $24,818 $26,766 $28,989 $30,094
(a) Plot the data by letting t = 0 correspond to 2000. Do the data appear to lie
roughly along a straight line?
(b) Use the points (0; 16072) and (13; 30094) to determine a linear equation that
models the data. What does the slope of the graph of the equation indicate?
(c) Use the equation in part (b) to predict the cost of Tuition & Fees in 2025.