I.

IncreasingTuition(Whitney44:30minutes)
A. Reasonswhycollegetuitionissohigh?
1. BasicEconomy
a) Forthepast30years,collegetuitionhasbeenincreasingattwice
therateofinflation.Universitiessaydecreasingfinancialsupport
fromstategovernmentsforcesthemtochargehighertuition.
Privatecollegesnowchargeanaverageofmorethan$30,000a
year.
(1) InarecentNationalPublicRadioseriesonthecostof
college.SandyBaumoftheUrbanInstitutetoldNPR.So
itsnotthatcollegesarespendingmoremoneytoeducate
students,itsthattheyhavetogetthatmoneyfrom
someplacetoreplacetheirloststatefundingandthats
fromtuitionandfeesfromstudentsandfamilies.
b) Educationpricingaffectstherestoftheeconomy
c) Expertsworrythatthehighcostofcollegemakesitlesslikelythat
goodstudentsfrompoorfamilieswillattendcollege.Thismeans
fewerscientists,engineersandotherswhocouldhelpincrease
economicgrowth.
d) Workerswithmoreeducationaremoreproductive,making
companiesmoreprofitableandtheoveralleconomytogrowfaster.
B. HistoricalFacts
1. Sometimestounderstandyouhavetolookatnumbersfromthepast
a) In1974theaverageAmericanfamilyearnedaround$13,000/yra
newhomecouldbepurchasedby$36,000anewcarfor$4,400.
(1) Attendingafouryearprivatecollegewouldbearound
$2,000ayearandatapublicuniversityabout$510ayear
b) Alothaschangedsincethen.Themedianfamilyincomehasrisen
toabout$64,000,homeshaveincreasedbyabout,carprices
haveremainedsteady.
(1) Buttheonethatstandsoutishighereducationtuitionat
privateuniversityisroughly3timesasexpensiveasitwas
in1974at$31,000andpublictuitionat$9,000,isalmost
fourtimes
2. In1900,lessthan10%oftheUShadahighschooldegreeandcouldnt
evenhavegottenoneiftheywantedto,becausetherejustwasntenough
publichighschools.BytheendofWorldWarII,halfofallyoung
Americanadultshadhighschooldiplomasbythe1970s,mostlyeveryone
did.Thecountrysrapidgrowthduringthatcenturytheriseofindustry,
 thedevelopmentoftechnology,thedawnofavastmiddleclasswould
behardtoexplainwithoutacknowledgingthespreadandattainabilityof
highereducationasacause.From1900to1980,everygenerationbornin
theUnitedStateshadabouttwomoreyearsofschoolingthantheone
before.Thistransformedanationofsemiliteratefarmersintotheworlds
mosteducatedcountry.Butprogresshasslowedsince1980.Inthe1970s,
theUnitedStatesrankedfirstgloballyforcollegeattainmenttoday,it
ranks14th,havingfallenbehindmanyotherindustrializednations.
C. Example
1. Foryoungadults(likeme)fromeducatedmiddleclassfamilies,people
whowantandfindawaytogetthroughcollegesdespitethecost,rising
collegetuitionisachallenge.Therearemanyotheryoungadultsnotgoing
because,iftheydo,theydon'tgraduatemostlybecausetheycan'taffordit.
2. Sometimesitsalsoeasytoviewfromyourpeersandwheretheystand
a) Graduatedwith
(1) Fullridetoatwoyearschoolbecauseshewasvaledictorian
(2) Fullridebecauseofherheritage(indianbackground)
(3) Payingallofherpaymentswithweeklypaychecks
(4) Therewasplentyofpeoplewhodidntgobecausethey
didntthinktheywereevensmartenough
(5) Andpeoplelikemethatareprettymuchpayingthesticker
price
b) EveryotherAmericanbenefitswhenothershaveaccesstoasmuch
educationasonewants
(1) Whentheaccessibilitytohighereducationdecrease,weall
enduppayingforit
3. WhatmadeyouchooseIowaState?(hopefullynooneanswers,cheapest
option)
a) Administrativeandteachingcosts,scholarships,sportsteamsand
elaboratenewconstructionprojects.Collegescompetewithone
anothernottomakemoney,buttohaveahigherstatusandprestige
andtolookniceandattracttheyoungeye.
4. Risingcollegetuitionrateshaveconsistentlymadetheoptionof
payingoutofpocket,almostajoke.Theonlythingthatkeepsthingsstill
goingisthefactthatdebtisthesafetyoftheeducationsystem,most
peopleknowtheyhavetogotocollege,thereisnootherchoicetothem,
sonothingstopsthemfromborrowingandborrowing.Andthisdebtwill
followthemaroundfordecades.