Are Public Universities Out of Your Price Range?

Students are supposed to be able to turn to public universities to get a good education at a reasonable price.

But, as Megan points out on the U.S. Poverty blog, many qualified students are denied the chance to even attend a public institution due to the expense. A new study out of the Education Trust, "Opportunity Adrift: Our Flagship Universities Are Straying From Their Public Mission," reports on the problems that have priced quality low-income students out of the system.

In an effort to boost their national rankings, many public universities are enticing relatively well-off students to their campuses with merit scholarships, meaning there's less money in the pot for low-income students that don't have any other choices.

On the other hand, student often find that it's easier to afford a private college than a public one. Of course, writing a check for $50,000 a year for private college is outside the price range of the majority of Americans. But, more and more, private universities are basing financial aid on need-only, rather than trying to recruit through merit scholarships -- if you can get into the school, they'll give what you need, and only what you need. Another positive step has been the introduction of need-blind admissions.

However, this isn't an adequate solution. Especially when the economy is hit and endowments shrink, private colleges pull back on their financial aid packages. We shouldn't be relying on them to do the job that public universities are meant to. Any student prepared and willing to go to college should have that opportunity. And investing in higher education should definitely be a government priority, since that will train young people to make bigger and better contributions to the economy.

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