Measuring Up 2008, a biannual report card issued by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, recently flunked 49 of 50 states for affordability when it comes to higher education. The only state that passed was California, with a C at that.
The report card grades affordability based on how much of the average family's income it costs to go to college. For example, in Illinois the average cost of attending a four-year public University is 35 percent of a family's income and in Pennsylvania 41 percent.
For 2008-09, the typical expense for an in-state undergraduate student attending a State University of New York (SUNY) college and living on campus is $18,370, according the SUNY Web site.
The report found that in New York, the average cost of attending a public four-year college in 2007-08 was 27 percent of a family's income. Low-income families are hit the hardest with these costs. The report also said that nationally, enrollment at a local public college costs families in the top fifth of income just 9 percent of their earnings, while families from the bottom fifth pay 55 percent.
If public schools are costing families over half of their income, then it must be much higher for a private school like the University. In-state residents can barely afford going to a SUNY school, how can they ever afford private schools?
Just a couple weeks ago, the SUNY Board of Trustees decided to hike in-state undergraduate tuition by $310 in January, another $310 in September and institute smaller annual increases in each of the following three years.
If this report comes out saying 49 states have failed college affordability and on top of that the country has been in a recession for a year, how would it ever be possible that people can afford a tuition hike? According to this report, families can't even afford tuition as it is.
It is unfortunate that in a country like this one, families in all but one state cannot afford to send their children to college.