Two generations ago, it was a luxury; today, though, more and more high school graduates are attending college. Doomed by their high school counselors and principal who assure them that a college degree is their ticket to a good life, these 18-year-old kids are asking Sallie Mae for help. Unless you’re academically or athletically gifted, affording college is very difficult for middle-class families.

Unfortunately, the effect of increased college costs hurt more than we think. For example, take a student who has a 3.8 GPA and a 1400 SAT —assuming, of course, they took the “old” SAT — this student would get into some very good schools. Now if this student gets into a first-tier school and can’t afford to attend, then he/she is forced to either take out student loans or attend an institution that costs less.

What is happening more and more is kids who would normally attend top-tier schools are attending state-run institutions and entering in their honors colleges. In doing so, the admissions proccess at state schools becomes harder, making the standards to gain entry to the institution more selective. It’s a trickle-down effect.

As the standards become more rigid, kids who aren’t academically capable of attending higher-tier institutions aren’t getting in to state schools and are forced to explore other options. Of course, we can’t blame kids for attending state schools to save money — especially in this time of economic crisis. So, the question arises of who is to blame? It’s simple: the colleges and universities.

It’s no suprise that educational institutions rely on endowment to ensure the advancement of their universities. With that said, however, I argue that the endowment — as well as the money gained through enrollment — is being poorly spend and, in some cases, wasted. Because of this mismanagement, high school graduates are being stripped of their chance to seek higher education.

It’s grossly unfair for kids to graduate from college — in today’s job market — and be 60-80k in debt with college loans. These same kids who are in in debt can’t find a job and are forced to default on their loans. If college truly shapes the minds of the “future of America” then can’t we help those ambitious enough to take on the rigors of college by lowering the cost of education. I think we can.