If you add to the general spirit of meanness pressures from extremists who frankly want to dismantle government, it's no surprise that K-12 is threatened by vouchers, and public funding for colleges and universities is increasingly cut back. Advocates of higher education, particularly public higher education, have to fight for every penny. And the financial crunch has led to a major erosion of our country's commitment to offer a college education to all who can benefit from it, regardless of their ability to pay. Colleges are passing on more and more of the cost of education to students and their families. Between 1980 and 1994, tuition at public four-year institutions rose 234 percent, more than three times the rate of inflation.
Some families can afford the rising prices.
The problem becomes even more acute when we look at what it means for black and Latino youngsters. I find this more disturbing than I can tell you. Higher education meant everything to me, as did my entire public school education. In my classes there, I was introduced to the principles of philosophy and civics and to authors whose work influenced and shaped my life. I discovered that it's okay to think and express contrarian thoughts, to debate ideas with others, and to push for my point of view.