Nationally, the education gap is growing rapidly. In 1979, a person whose family income fell in the top one-quarter of the population was four times more likely to have a bachelor's degree than a person whose family income was in the bottom quarter. By 1994, a person in the top quarter was 10 times more likely to have a four-year degree, according to research by Thomas Mortenson, a nationally known education consultant. The debt has grown much larger in recent years because of interest. It's not like I can get a new loan.'' For high school graduates, the price attached to higher education just adds to what is already a serious problem getting them to attend college in the first place.
Maine lags behind the nation in getting high school graduates into college.
Cost ''is the largest factor'' behind that, said Mercer, with the Finance Authority of Maine. Some experts believe that, in addition to the cost factor, Maine graduates aren't going on to college because some families aren't aware how significantly times have changed and how great the demand for higher skills has become. For many decades, students could graduate from high school and land a good manufacturing job. There was little reason to aspire to anything else. But those jobs aren't as abundant as they used to be.