June 29, 2004

College Enrollment Rate Suggests Kerry Wrong

I was thinking about yesterday's story in USA Today about how college has become more affordable for the middle class in the last few years - despite John Kerry's now provably false claim otherwise - and my memory kept telling me I ought to check college enrollment stats. If John Kerry is right, then college enrollment would be down. But if USA Today is right, then college enrollment would be up or at least steady.

Here's what I found: "The college enrollment rate of recent high school graduates was little changed over the year and remains near historically high rates," according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in a news release dated April 27, 2004. According to the BLS, almost sixty-four percent of high school graduates from the class of 2003 were enrolled in colleges or universities in the fall.

Now, how can that be? John Kerry says college has become simply unaffordable for the middle class, yet college enrollment "remains near historically high rates." Huh. I guess John Kerry must be wrong. Or lying - and unaware of the existence of the Internet and Google so his claims and assertions can be fact-checked.