The financial burden of rising tuition costs is hitting more households in this country than ever before. A study from the Pew Research Center, reported by the Associated Press, found that according to data in the Federal Reserves's Survey of Consumer Finances, 19 percent of households owed student loans, which was up from 15 percent in 2007. Hope Yen of the Associated Press writes, "The biggest jumps occurred in households at the two extremes of the income distribution. More well-off families are digging deeper into their pockets to pay for costly private colleges, while lower-income people in search of higher-wage jobs are enrolling in community colleges, public universities and other schools as a way to boost their resumes."

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Esther Zuckerman