Trends in Postsecondary Education - Just How Much Has Tuition Gone Up?, Perceptions Of The Price Of College, Tuition Isn't Even The Half Of It

The second half of the twentieth century saw explosive growth in the number of people attending college, the number of educational institutions built to accommodate them, and the cost of a college education. The media continually remind us that the price of a college education is going up and up. At the same time, the college degree becomes ever more desirable. Parents and young people see the degree as a milestone on the path to economic success.

In the 1960s President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society initiatives led to unprecedented numbers of students from low-income families acquiring a college education. But federal dollars haven't kept up with rising costs, and new government initiatives seem to favor students who are better able to pay. At the same time, it is predicted that the pool of college applicants will include more poor students. This leads to the question: Is college now out of the reach of all but the most well-off among us?

The first panels in this chapter offer an overview of the costs of a college education — how people finance their education and how financial options have changed. We'll see that perceptions of the cost of college do not always match the reality. We'll explore the question whether financial aid packages favor those who need them most.

The second set of panels looks at funding and endowments at the college level. Where does the money come from? Where does it go? Next, we look at recipients of college degrees to learn who our new professionals are and who is being left behind in the baccalaureate scramble. We will see how grade inflation is casting doubt on the quality of college diplomas and will also try to determine the value of a college degree.

Finally, we will examine the rapidly growing phenomenon of technology-based distance learning. The cost of higher education is soaring as fast as the cost of health care. Is it possible that distance education will actually replace the university?