WSIU InFocus Video Player

Getting a college education is considered a stepping stone to the American dream, but achieving that dream is growing increasingly more difficult for millions of Americans because of the spiraling costs of higher education. State support for higher education continues to shrink as financial pressures squeeze budgets at state capitals across the nation. To make up for shortfalls in state funding, universities are raising tuition and fees, forcing college students and their families deeper into debt.

On this week's edition of WSIU InFocus, Jak Tichenor discusses the issue with Tom Mortenson, a senior public policy analyst who has been tracking financial trends in American higher education for more than three decades, including working with the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. Mortenson was invited to Southern Illinois University Carbondale in April 2011 to serve as the keynote speaker during the installation of Rita Cheng as the 22nd Chancellor of the University. He is the editor and publisher of the monthly research newsletter "Postsecondary Education OPPORTUNITY."

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