College tuition a key issue, survey finds

Results of a National Education Association survey released this week show that the rising cost of college is a critical concern for voters this election season.

According to the survey, the majority of voters believe a college education is necessary to make ends meet but feel struggling middle class families aren’t getting the help they need to pay for it.

Among the findings:
- 70 percent of parents of college students surveyed said that making college more affordable was an important issue to them in the upcoming election; 34 percent said it was the most important issue.

- Most of those surveyed said the federal government should play a substantial role in addressing skyrocketing tuition costs.

- Respondents overwhelmingly favored policy proposals that sought to fulfill the notion that “deserving children who work hard and play by the rules” should be given the opportunity to attend college.

College affordability was of particular importance to Hispanics, with 48 percent of those surveyed saying it was the most important issue to them.

For additional survey results, go to www.gottuition.org/contents/view/70.

Donna Winchester, higher education reporter

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Comments

[Shawn]

Great post! The sad part is that postsecondary institutions have positioned their pieces of paper as must haves for personal economic success. Yet most grads still walk into entry level jobs that start under $40k and have upwards of $30k in school debt.

That's why a lot of students are choosing a better option: distance learning and credit by exam. I work at an organization called CollegePlus! that helps FL students complete their degree for under $15k, allowing them to spend their money on better things--like grad school.

[Dwayne]

Ya interesting article, however UF & FSU have disgustingly low tuition. It's so low that it is hurting the economic well being of the Universities. Allow them to raise their tuition to the national average for Public Universities. 3,000 a year for tuition is disgustingly low!