Editorial: Curbing college costs

Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2007 | 6:58 a.m.

Universities are responding to pressure from Congress and parents about high tuition rates that are putting college students deep into debt.

The outcry is understandable as skyrocketing costs have left many students saddled with heavy debt. Congress in recent months has taken up the issue and called for efforts to curb costs, echoing the sentiment of many parents.

A student at one of the nation's leading private universities, for example, can expect college to cost $45,000 for tuition and living expenses - a year. Those schools are now leading the way to make earning a degree more affordable, largely by offering more financial aid.

On Saturday, Duke University announced plans to ease the burden for families making less than $100,000 a year. On Monday, Harvard University announced it is expanding its financial aid program to include students whose parents make up to $180,000. The schools are also increasing aid to students whose families make significantly less money.

Other universities - including public universities - are planning to expand their financial aid packages and exclude or limit the use of student loans to reduce student debt.

The inclusion of students from middle- to upper-income families in financial aid is a clear sign of the problem. Already Stanford, Yale and Princeton have expanded their financial aid programs to families that would normally be excluded because they make too much money. Harvard's program goes even further in offering subsidized tuition to students.

"Education is the engine that makes American democracy work," Harvard President Drew Faust said. "And it has to work, and that means people have to have access."

In such a competitive world, America needs a well-educated workforce. With high college costs, students may not pursue graduate degrees or take lower-paying public service jobs, such as teaching, because of the burden of paying off the debt.

We hope the steps Harvard and others are taking will catch on and spread throughout higher education.