Atatimewhenmanystudentsstillseecollegeastheirbesthopeforarewardingcareer，highereducationhasbecomemoreexpensive，farmorethanthesteadyincreaseinthecostofliving．Asaconsequence，averagestudentdebtatgraduationis

　　Atatimewhenmanystudentsstillseecollegeastheirbesthopeforarewardingcareer，highereducationhasbecomemoreexpensive，farmorethanthesteadyincreaseinthecostofliving．Asaconsequence，averagestudentdebtatgraduationiscurrentlypushing$30，000．Insomecases，studentdebtreachessixfigures．

　　Butfallingbeyondthereachofthesefrighteningstatisticsaremanycapablestudentswhodon'taccumulatestudentdebtbecausetheycan'taffordtogotocollegeinthefirstplace．

　　Whichraisesaquestion：Wouldn'tournationbebetteroffifallAmericanstudentswereencouraged，orevenassisted，bypublicpolicytopushtheirintellectualcapacitiestotheirmaximums？Whatifallhighereducationinourcountrywereextremelyaffordable？Orevenfree？

　　Asithappens，theAssociatedPressreportedthatbothOregonandTennesseeareconsideringthefeasibility（可行性）ofno-tuitionpoliciesfortheircommunitycolleges．

　　ThelogicbehindtheseeffortsiswellexplainedbyOregonStateSenatorMarkHass："Ithinkeverybodyagreesthatwithahighschooleducationbyitself，thereisnopathtothemiddleclass．Thereisonlyonepath，anditleadstopoverty．Andpovertyisveryexpensive．"

　　Hassmayoverstatethecaseslightly．Despitethelackofgoodblue-collarjobsinourcountryobsthatwouldfirmlyestablishaworkerinwhatt'sleftofthemiddleclassandprovidepaidvacation，apension，andhealthinsurancehighschoolgraduatemightstill piecetogetherenoughworktokeephimselfmoreorlessabovethepovertyline，eventhoughaccesstothetrue"AmericanDream"willstillbeverydifficult．

　　ButthesecondpartofHass'sargumentisundeniable．Ourfailuretoeducateourselvestoourfullpotentialisveryexpensive．HassreferstoresearchfromtheOregonUniversitySystemthatindicatesthatOregonianswithonlyahighschooldegreemakelessmoneyand，therefore，payfewertaxesthanthosewithcollegedegrees．Theyarealsomorelikelytorequirefoodstampsandothersortsofpublicassistance．RepublicansandDemocratsagreeonthis．

　　Clearly，thecloserwecometoreachingourfulleducationalcapacity，asindividualsandasanation，thelesslikelywearetobecomecriminalsandprisoners．Infact，it's