- From 1999 to 2009, the average price of tuition at a four-year college went up 73 percent, with family income falling 7 percent over the same period.
- State budget cuts, "seller's market" conditions and shifting payment burdens have all contributed to an increasing financial burden on students.
- The end result has been increased borrowing.
Aaron Marks graduates this spring with a business degree from a good college, Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, and, unlike many of his classmates, a good job.
He also has $191,000 in student loan debt.
Mr. Marks's debt is extraordinarily high, but stories like his abound. Two-thirds of students graduate with debt, to the tune of $25,000, on average. ...