For every 100 9th graders, only 18 will enter college and finish within 6 years. That leaves 82 underachieving and under contributing to this country. And for those 18 who do finish, many of them will be faced with a mountain of student debt to repay. This information comes from a new report by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Major reasons for our failing grade:
Spiraling tuition
Poor college preparation
Lack of help to keep students moving toward a degree

The average cost of tuition has risen 35% over 5 years compared to a 13.8% increase in inflation.

Loan debt by student borrowers at public colleges more than doubled in the past 10 years to $17,250, according to inflation-adjusted figures from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
The federal government Pell Grant program is a joke. If the program was keeping up with the rise in tuition, the average Pell Grant would be around $10,000, rather than $4,000. This lack requires students to get the additional assistance in the form of loans.

And all of this gap in finances is making it much more difficult for low-income students to complete a degree. Only half of students from households making $25,000 or less who started at a 4 year college in 1996 graduated in 5 years, compared to three quarters of students from households with incomes of $70,000 or more. And getting a job made matters worse. During this same period, 65 percent of those who did not work graduated, compared to 31 percent who worked full time.

Not educating our kids is a sin in my book, but it's also very short sighted. According to the Institute for Higher Education Policy in Washington, higher education boosts tax revenues, cuts dependence on welfare, and boosts community service among other social benefits.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive