Amidst New Report, More Alarms Go Off on College Costs

June 28, 2010 by Paul Richlovsky

Over the weekend, “The Choice” blog from The New York Times introduced a report (PDF) from the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance that shows a decreasing rate of college enrollment for low-income high-school graduates and an increasing proportion of annual family income required for four years at a public college.

The report, entitled “The Rising Price of Inequality,” sounds an alarm to the federal government for more need-based state and federal aid. States cutting budgets are reminded that without more grant aid, the number of low-income students who get degrees—or even go to college—will drop over the next decade.

Before you push the panic button, however, you’ll want to view the latest video from CCAP on the very question of whether college is good for everyone. The nine-minute discussion involving the founder (Richard Vedder) and four of its members touches on the reasons why some might want bypass college in certain circumstances. Indeed, the people at CCAP may be delighted to know that the new report (despite arguing for increased access to college) affirms some of the “Is-college-for-everyone?” questioning:

“The major focus of this first report is on 4-year college enrollment and bachelor’s degree attainment, not because every high school graduate must or should enroll in a 4-year college or pursue a bachelor’s degree, but because our financial aid system is founded on the principle that any youth, regardless of family income, should have the financial opportunity to do so, if he or she has the aspiration and prepares adequately.”

[Emphasis added.]

Best video stat: Unemployment among college graduates is 4.9%, the highest ever recorded (excluding the Great Depression, for which data is unavailable).

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Photo courtesy of Steve Snodgrass via Flickr.