It shouldn't cost so much to go to college

Swarthmore College, the University of Pennsylvania, and Lehigh University have announced tuition hikes and other institutions in the region are likely to follow. The increases are a stunning reminder that far too little has been done to solve the growing problem of college affordability.

Costs continue to rise even though faculty salaries, one of the largest expenses, are as stagnant as wages for other middle-income Americans. La Salle University and other colleges have laid off employees and made other moves to make ends meet.

Despite such efforts, the College Board reports that since 1995 the average cost of a college education has more than tripled, outpacing incomes and families' ability to pay without going deeply into debt.

The affordability problem is partly due to reduced state subsidies. State higher education funding has been cut an average of 21 percent since the recession. Meanwhile, tuition at public colleges has shot up 28 percent.

The state budget impasse in Pennsylvania further exacerbates the funding problem. Pennsylvania State University, Lincoln University, Temple University, and the University of Pittsburgh say the stalemate might lead to added student costs or program cuts. Penn State warned that it may lay off 1,100 workers and close its agricultural extension offices.

Some institutions, public and private, are banking on expensive marketing plans and ambitious building programs to attract more students. But in many cases they increase costs without stopping enrollments from declining.

Young people who fear they can't afford to pay tuition don't want to be saddled with huge debts. They are further discouraged by tales of college graduates who can't find a job. Fewer applicants can lead colleges to spend more to attract students, but that can create more budget issues.

The high price of learning has impacted the college graduation rate. America ranks 19th out of 28 countries surveyed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, falling below Iceland, Poland, and New Zealand. The survey also said it was harder for students from poorer families to attend college in America than in Finland, Ireland, Australia, and the Netherlands.

President Obama is trying to cut college costs by reducing the role of profit-driven banks as the middle man families use to finance their children's education. Unfortunately, his proposal for free community colleges has bogged down in Congress, where bills that would lower loan costs, increase grants, and demand more accountability and transparency from colleges are languishing.

Instead of sitting on Obama's good ideas, Congress should add to them. Unless the college affordability problem is adequately addressed, the nation cannot have a well educated, competitive workforce.