I remember starting college in 1987. I was a kid from an area that many would call “the ghetto”. We rarely had enough money. But, I was always told that “you will go to college.” Thanks to scholarships (affirmative action opponents — hate me now), grants,student loans, and a 30+ hour a week job, I was able to earn a degree.

The thing that I had in my favor, though, was that the cost of college wasn’t so out of reach. Fast forward nearly 19 years (God, has it been that long?) and I see the hope of college out of reach for many. Honestly, I see this even happening to a lot of white kids so, I know that minority kids are catching it harder.

A new report more eloquently illustrates what I have stated above. The Minorities in Higher Education Twenty-second Annual Status Report, states that, though minorities have made great strides in enrollment, the cost of college is making college inaccessible for far too many.

Some of key facts coming out of this report are:

• In 2002, some 400,000 students had to forgo college because they simply couldn’t afford it.
• Due to the decline in grants, more students are forced to rely on loans for education. As a result, the amount of debt the average college student is taking on has more than doubled.
• The amount of funding the government provides for educational assistance has dropped. For example, the amount of college tuition a Pell Grant covers has fallen by a full 75%.

This all reminds me of the line the Tupac song Changes that goes, “They have money for war but can’t feed the poor”. And, if our government won’t help with the basics, they certainly aren’t going to help educate those without means. To me, this all sounds like part of a cynical plan that is working towards eliminating the middle class.

But, hey, what do I know, right?

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