Kerry Spot    [ jim geraghty reporting ]
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USA Today blows a big hole in one of Kerry's biggest rhetorical points:

What students pay on average for tuition at public universities has fallen by nearly one-third since 1998, thanks to new federal tax breaks and a massive increase in state and federal grants to most students and their families.

Contrary to the widespread perception that tuition is soaring out of control, a USA TODAY analysis found that what students actually pay in tuition and fees — rather than the published tuition price — has declined for a vast majority of students attending four-year public universities. In fact, today's students have enjoyed the greatest improvement in college affordability since the GI bill provided benefits for returning World War II veterans.

What made the difference: a $22 billion annual increase in grants and tax breaks since 1998.

That 80% jump in financial aid — targeting middle-class families earning $40,000 to $100,000 a year — has more than offset dramatic increases in tuition prices.

"College still takes a big chunk out of most families' income. But the average student is much better off today than headlines would have you believe," says Sandy Baum, an economist who co-authors an annual report on college costs for the College Board, which oversees college entrance exams.

For months, John Kerry - while insisting he is an optimist - has been saying that higher education is absolutely out of reach for the middle class in America. Which is about as accurate as his claim that we're in the worst economy since the Great Depression.

From Kerry's issues page on his web site: "While George Bush gives tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans, students are struggling to find the support they need to succeed. Today, college students face soaring tuition costs and a lifetime of debt after graduation. Our country needs a president who understands that today’s students will be the engine of our new economy – and that every student should have the opportunity to prepare for, pay for, and complete four years of college. We deserve a president who will fight for the parents who know that their children deserve higher education and a chance at a lifetime of well-paying jobs.

John Kerry has the courage to take on Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy so we can invest in education. He will stand up and say that four years of college should be as universal and as affordable as a high school education is today."

Back on April 12: A Kerry release stated, "George Bush’s reckless fiscal policies have led to the largest state fiscal crisis in fifty years. In an effort to balance their budgets states have been forced to shift the burden onto higher tuition for American families. Last year public universities increased tuition by 13 percent adjusted for inflation – more than twice the 5 percent rate of increase at private universities and clear evidence that a major part of the problem is the state fiscal crisis."

Back on April 14: Kerry charged that "the administration's domestic policies have put the cost of college out of reach for many young Americans... Before his town hall meeting, Kerry participated in a discussion with students, families and administrators, in which he heard how rising costs have made it more difficult for some families to pay for college. Later he blamed the administration for breaking a campaign promise to provide more money for college support. "President Bush and his administration have done everything but live up to that promise and that reality," he said.

Kerry said Bush's economic policies have squeezed middle-class families. "College tuitions have gone up 28 percent in the last three years.

[Posted 06/28 09:12 AM]