In 2009, college affordability should be a priority

In just a few weeks many of our young people will walk across stage, grasp their well-earned diploma, toss their tassel to the opposite side and enter into the kingdom of adulthood.

Welcome! Now comes the fun part, trying to pay for college.

I guess the first sign of adulthood is the reality of what college costs these days. In 1990, which seems like an eternity ago, my first year of college costs about $3,500 per year. Back then I thought that tuition was high.

But that is nothing compared to today’s costs. During the 2008-2009 academic year, George Mason’s tuition will be $7,512. Out-of-state costs will be $21,648. The costs will reflect a 9 percent increase in tuition

The University of Virginia’s likewise will rise by 9 percent and Virginia Tech’s by 11 percent.

All of those increases are major. Especially when you consider a slowdown in summer job growth — so it’s harder for students to save — and the rising costs of gas and living — so it’s harder for adults to save.

The good news is that Virginia, specifically Northern Virginia, has a great community college system. The bad news is that these increases are probably not the last we will see. That could make the community colleges the first and last stop for some students.

The state’s budget woes obviously play a considerable role in what public universities, like George Mason, actually receive and thus actually charge students.

While I believe that the state legislature is doing the best they can for now, the point of rising costs need to be at the forefront of the state elections next year.

In 2009 there will be a full slate of state elections. The cost of college should be one of the top two or three issues to demand action on in the elections.

Why so high of a priority you may ask? Paying for college is probably the most expensive thing we pay for outside of purchasing a house or a car. And while it is not always necessary for success, a college education can often have the most impact of the three. That is something for parents and soon-to-be graduates to think about.

Now it is true that parents don’t have to pay for college. But it sure does help. Besides it is sort of like that final big gift before sending our kids out into the world.

If any of you are like me, my parents didn’t pay for college not because they didn’t want to; they simply couldn’t. So the idea of helping my kids get a head start on life would be nice.

Now there are things like tuition-savings plans, scholarships and other mechanisms to help get a head start. Savings plans and scholarships are good.

However, the rate of tuition increase added with the cost of living itself may soon make those savings plans only good to pay textbooks and maybe get a meal plan on campus.

That means the average students will have to commit themselves to the servitude of getting a student loan.

Ultimately, a loan means multiple years of monthly payments and possibly higher interest rates on a future house or other long- term investments.

Part of the answer is all of us maximizing our financial planning. But the other part of that answer involves our elected officials working next year to make college affordable for everyone aspiring to attend college.

This is an investment in Virginia’s future.

That way, when our kids graduate from high school in a few weeks, it will not be the last graduation ceremony where they get to walk across the stage and grasp a well earned diploma.

Davon Gray works in Washington, D.C., and resides in Woodbridge. Contact him at dgpointofview@comcast.net.