Margaret BauerThe National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education (NCPPHE) gave Missouri colleges the worst grade possible in its “affordability” category of a state report card released earlier this month, entitled “Measuring Up 2004.”
In hanging this proverbial dunce cap over Missouri’s head, the non-profit agency compared the average amount that American families earn each year to the average costs of community, two-year and four-year institutions of higher learning.
The report divides its affordability category into three subsections. “Family Ability to Pay,” for instance, counts for half of each state’s grade and takes into account the percentage of total income a family spends on higher education. A middle-class family in Missouri pays on average $16,205 after subtractions for financial aid for a private four-year university-and, according to the report, that’s one-third of the income that middle-class families earn on average.
Looking back on previous reports produces even more disheartening news. In 2002 Missouri received a “D” instead of the “F” it received this year. The study claims things aren’t improving despite financial aid programs. The federal government shoulders much of the burden. For every dollar the federal government contributes to aiding families with college costs, the average state matches only 18 cents.
At Washington University, tuition increased 3.9 percent this year. If tuition continues to increase at this rate, this year’s freshmen class will pay $82,597.54 in 2031 when they are 45 and sending their children to their alma mater.
“College affordability measured in terms of efforts families must make has declined even when student financial aid is taken into account,” said James Hunt, chairman of the Board of Directors for the NCPPHE and former governor of North Carolina, when he released the report card to the public. “That just can’t be right.”
Started on March 17, 1998, the NCPPHE strives to gather information most useful to education leaders and distribute it to said leaders and the public. The Center’s distinguishing characteristic is that they evaluate states and the nation as a whole, rather than focusing on specific colleges and universities. They believe this idea makes their data more valuable to government leaders. With this report, leaders can make statements about the state instead of an individual institution.
Emphasizing the outcome of the study, Hunt said he expected the results of the report would “come as a surprise” to many.