Americans live in a nation that prides itself on both intelligence and wealth, yet with the rising cost of college tuition, oftentimes only few obtain these ideals.

When applying for federal assistance for college, all applicants file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This form determines the amount of money the federal government will provide based on the family’s income.

Recently government funding for college education has improved tremendously to aid students of low-income families. On the other hand, college students of middle-class families are repeatedly denied federal aid.

The Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance presented it best by saying, “Cost factors prevent 48 percent of college-qualified high school graduates from attending a four-year institution, and 22 percent from any college at all. The statistics are similarly bleak for middle-income students and families. At this rate, by the end of the decade, more than 2 million college-qualified students will be completely denied the opportunity for post-secondary education.”

Generally, students fall into one of three categories: those receiving grants or other government funding, those who take out private loans and, lastly, those whose parents pay their tuition.

Students receiving grants are not required to pay that money back to the government, therefore, these individuals may possibly accumulate only minor or mediocre amounts of debt.

In addition, pupils lucky enough to rely on parental units for tuition payment need not worry about debt after graduation. Rather, most with at least a Bachelor’s degree will make a suitable income and will amass savings much more quickly than those paying off loans.

The other students fall into the deadly trap of receiving and paying off loans for years to come. Usually after graduating with a four-year degree and landing a job, most people expect to live comfortably. However, many times young adults spend much of their salary paying off loans.

Not only is the loan process tedious and confusing, but frequently students have unmet financial needs of a few thousand dollars. According to The Boston Globe, the Board of Higher Education in Massachusetts estimated that in 2005, 88,000 of the 135,000 students who received financial aid faced an average unmet need of $4,500. That was more than a quarter of the total number of students enrolled in state schools.

According to the article, the Board’s chancellor, Patricia Plummer, said many students in the state face credit card debt from paying for college.

Education is supposed to lead to success, prosperity and the American dream, but is this vision truly achievable for all?

In a perfect world such as Thomas More’s “Utopia,” education would be available to everyone. Nevertheless, in America, where all men are created “equal,” I’m not so sure about this dream of readily accessible schooling.

In my personal experience with college financing, although only a freshman, I am fortunate enough to receive assistance from my parents. Nonetheless, I still hold strong feelings on the issue of college tuition.

Every time I am interested in applying for a scholarship, I see the same phrase – “based on financial need.”

It’s extremely upsetting when I am denied scholarships based on my family’s income rather than my grades, community involvement and character.

Many who fall into this middle-class scenario of not receiving government funding have to deal with difficult decisions.

They can put the financial burden on themselves by taking out a loan, or they can put the stress on the parents to pay. I found this second option quite ironic after, at 3:38 a.m., I found a quote from Paul Daugherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer: “Tuition forces parents to pull all-nighters, too.”

Whichever path of payment an individual chooses, the fact is that college tuition is steadily increasing each year. Action must be taken.