Failing Grades

On the whole, Arkansascolleges are doing better than they were 10 years ago, but still not that well. Thats the word from the "Measuring Up 2004" report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. The study evaluates states progress in college enrollment, retention, readiness and affordability. It also looks at the benefits a state receives from its college graduates. Though the average cost of a college education in this state is under four thousand dollars, Arkansas received a failing grade for affordability. Thats the only grade that declined over the last decade. The "F" was due to the steep incline in campus tuition and student fees. State contributions to colleges have not kept pace with cost or demand. This fall Arkansas campuses are facing an all-time high enrollment of more than 123 thousand students. The financial impact of college on low and middle income families is also part of the "F." For those families the net cost of sending someone to college is now at almost 40 percent of their annual household income.