Report Says Calif. 2-Year Colleges Have Hidden Costs.

The article presents information on the cost of education at California's 2-year colleges, despite the fact that they have the lowest tuition rates in the United States. A March 2007 report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education says that many state residents with low or moderate incomes cannot afford to attend the community colleges due to hidden costs, such as housing, food, health care, textbooks, and supplies. The report estimates that tuition represents only 5 percent of the students' costs. It recommends that legislators focus on increasing state grants for nontuition expenses instead of focusing on low tuition.