Tuition; locking in prices now for future education
Editorial

Higher education is an obstacle course many people choose to tackeli n hopes of gaining financial comfrot. A college dgree says, "I did it; I endured, and now I've arrived. And, I paid some bucks to get here."

College is a second job that students take on to better themselves,and a financial investment many parents make in their children to prepare them for a financially-stable existence. It is also a business with a no-haggle pricing policy that drains students financialy, but is nevertheless essential if they are to brong knowledge and experience to the job table. Spending money to make money is the name of the game in the world of higher education and is worth it in the long run.

In the 1950s, average yearly tuitiion was about $200. People were getting married right out of high school and joining the military instead of attending college. Many of those same people are now struggling to attend college or are parents of college-age sons and daughters and struggling to give their children the educaiton they were never able to experience themselves. Higher education has become increasingly important and expensive over the past 50 years, but almost necessary for those who want to live above the poverty level.

In the future, tuitiion is guaranteed to skyrocket for about the same amount of education students are receiving today. For example, if the current on-year cost of tuition for 12 hours a semester is between $3,500 and $4,000, in another 10 years, 6 percent yearly inflation will make tuition between $6,000 and $8,000 per year, totaling a four-year cost of around $31,000.

These numbers can be calculated ont eh FinAid Web site at www.savetuition.com.

According to the New York Times, higher education expenses are expected to more than double over the next two decades with tuition increasing from $7,472 to $15,879 per year for four years.

College has become a societal n orm over the past 50 years and is expected to keep the economy growing by providing a well-rouned eductaion for those who can and are willing to pay for it.

But with college tuition getting more expensive as the years go by, many people may be reluctant to attend simply because they do not have the financial means. If people do not attend college inthe future because they do not have the money, the economy is sure to suffer with the lack of qualified employees.

The future experience of higher education may be less daunting to those who are willig to undergo some personal and financial sacrifice now. Wiuth a bit of foresight, persent and future parents can start plannign financially for their children's college early.

The financial plan for the future known as "529" is a prepaid tuition plan that allows parents to purchase units of future tuition at today's rates, assuming those rates keep pace with inflation.

Locking in future tuition now will reduce strain later and ensure that people will continue to fuel the job market by going to college. It is a worthwhile investment today for the financial security of tomorrow.