Atatimewhenmanystudentsstillseecollegeastheirbesthopeforarewardingcareer，highereducationhasbecomemoreexpensive，farmorethanthesteadyincreaseinthecostofliving．Asaconsequence，averagestudentdebtatgraduationis
Atatimewhenmanystudentsstillseecollegeastheirbesthopeforarewardingcareer，highereducationhasbecomemoreexpensive，farmorethanthesteadyincreaseinthecostofliving．Asaconsequence，averagestudentdebtatgraduationiscurrentlypushing$30，000．Insomecases，studentdebtreachessixfigures．
Butfallingbeyondthereachofthesefrighteningstatisticsaremanycapablestudentswhodon'taccumulatestudentdebtbecausetheycan'taffordtogotocollegeinthefirstplace．
Whichraisesaquestion：Wouldn'tournationbebetteroffifallAmericanstudentswereencouraged，orevenassisted，bypublicpolicytopushtheirintellectualcapacitiestotheirmaximums？Whatifallhighereducationinourcountrywereextremelyaffordable？Orevenfree？
Asithappens，theAssociatedPressreportedthatbothOregonandTennesseeareconsideringthefeasibility（可行性）ofno-tuitionpoliciesfortheircommunitycolleges．
ThelogicbehindtheseeffortsiswellexplainedbyOregonStateSenatorMarkHass："Ithinkeverybodyagreesthatwithahighschooleducationbyitself，thereisnopathtothemiddleclass．Thereisonlyonepath，anditleadstopoverty．Andpovertyisveryexpensive．"
Hassmayoverstatethecaseslightly．Despitethelackofgoodblue-collarjobsinourcountryobsthatwouldfirmlyestablishaworkerinwhatt'sleftofthemiddleclassandprovidepaidvacation，apension，andhealthinsurancehighschoolgraduatemightstill piecetogetherenoughworktokeephimselfmoreorlessabovethepovertyline，eventhoughaccesstothetrue"AmericanDream"willstillbeverydifficult．
ButthesecondpartofHass'sargumentisundeniable．Ourfailuretoeducateourselvestoourfullpotentialisveryexpensive．HassreferstoresearchfromtheOregonUniversitySystemthatindicatesthatOregonianswithonlyahighschooldegreemakelessmoneyand，therefore，payfewertaxesthanthosewithcollegedegrees．Theyarealsomorelikelytorequirefoodstampsandothersortsofpublicassistance．RepublicansandDemocratsagreeonthis．
Clearly，thecloserwecometoreachingourfulleducationalcapacity，asindividualsandasanation，thelesslikelywearetobecomecriminalsandprisoners．Infact，it's