The Affordable College Compact

As a postsecondary degree has become more important than ever in the labor market, and the primary means by which one enters the middle class, the U.S. has simultaneously made it more difficult and more expensive to attain. Over the course of three decades, the cost of public colleges and universities—which educated nearly 3 in 4 students—has risen dramatically. Now, borrowing is nearly required to graduate with a four-year degree, particularly for low- and middle-income students. This report proposes a federal-state partnership to increase state investment and return to debt-free public higher education.