Not to reiterate a point we made in our Sunday staff editorial, but college costs are insurmountably high. Tuition costs are rising faster than inflation while loan companies are decreasing their private loan application acceptance rate, creating a financial catastrophe that no student should face.
While the federal government has been far less than helpful on matters of college financing, the House's recent proposal to lower college textbook costs is certainly a start. Part of the Higher Education Act, the textbook provision requires publishers to provide full pricing information to colleges so that faculty can make responsible textbook decisions prior to the semester. The bill would also require colleges to list textbook requirements in their biannual course catalogs.
For obvious reasons, we hope the House passes the act today. Textbook bills of $500 and upward are unnecessary, irresponsible and, most importantly, avoidable by all means, and it has taken entirely too long for such a proposal to garner adequate national attention.
But Congress should not stop at book costs. Ever year, students' finances occupy a place in politicians' campaign rhetoric, yet no amount of energizing speeches or catchy commercials can transform their promises into law. In addition to adjusting the burden of book costs, Congress needs to fix the broken student loan industry and provide low-income students more federal need-based aid - things that students have been complaining about for decades. Thankfully, the Higher Education Act begins that process, but it is by no means the end.
