Hispanics hit with soaring tuition costs.

College is getting priced out of the reach of more Latino students, according to a new report released by the Campaign for America’s Future. The full cost of college for one year at a public university now consumes one third of the annual median household income for Hispanics compared to one-quarter of annual median household income for a non-Hispanic, white family.

The report details how rising costs, stagnant incomes and flagging public assistance are pricing college out of the reach of more Latino students. And that is why it is particularly unconscionable that the Congress, in this year’s budget, slashed $12 billion out of the student loan program, even while interest rates on student and parent loans were hiked, and the level of Pell grants remained frozen for the fifth straight year. College costs are soaring out of reach – and Congress acted to make things worse.

The average cost of attending a public four-year college has increased 42 percent nationwide since 2000, sticking students with a $2,786 hike in costs. Over the same period, the latest Census data show that median family income has fallen 4 percent for Hispanics and 2 percent overall.

The new report finds that with tuition costs rising far faster than inflation, real wages still stagnating, federal assistance shrinking and states cutting back institutional support, millions of students are therefore foregoing college, dropping out, or incurring serious debt.

To view report CLICK below (Adobe Acrobat Reader required):
http://cdncon.vo.llnwd.net/o2/fotf/20060907_edu_out_of_reach/Hispanic%20education%20report.pdf