Time – Kaitlin Mulhere
“Everyone talks about affordability, but what exactly do they mean? During a higher education hearing on Capitol Hill last month, Lumina Foundation CEO Jamie Meritosis made a telling observation: While nearly everyone agrees that higher education has become unaffordable for many families, few can define what “affordable” actually means. “It’s an eye of the beholder issue for us right now,” he added later. Today the foundation, which focuses on higher-ed issues, is out with a suggested formula for determining what’s affordable. It would be the amount families could set aside by saving 10% of their discretionary income for 10 years, plus what students could contribute from working 10 hours a week while in school, or $14,500 over four years at current minimum wage.”(more)