The Spark

the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist

“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx

Colleges Flunk Affordability Test

Feb 23, 2009

Forty-nine of 50 states fail the test for college affordability, according to a recent study.

College tuition has skyrocketed by 29% in the past ten years, while family incomes have fallen. On average, a college education takes up 28% of a family’s income, and this will only get worse in the coming years. More and more, a college education will be priced out of the reach of workers’ families.

Of course, lower-income families are hardest hit. Nationally, college costs families in the top fifth only nine% of their income–but families in the bottom fifth must devote 55% of their income to pay for college. Fifty-five%! At that rate, who could possibly afford college on top of food, housing and clothing?

Public colleges are paid for with workers’ taxes–yet more and more, workers can’t afford to send their kids to these schools. Only the wealthy will be able to afford college any more, even at public colleges and universities!

These blood-sucking leeches owe even their education to the work that we do–yet they dare to shut us out?!