J.D. Tuccille on the President's Price-Hiking Student Loan Scheme
When he was a college freshman in 1983, writes J.D. Tuccille, average tuition, fees, room and board at private, nonprofit colleges added up to $18,143 in 2013 dollars. This year, that number has risen to $40,917. Public colleges are cheaper than their private counterparts, but they've seen similar soaring costs. You can expect more of the same, warns Tuccille, as President Obama commits the federal government to further subsidize student borrowing, thereby encouraging colleges to hike prices to match.