Is it really any surprise that Indiana received an "F" for college affordability from a nonprofit advocate for higher education?

It takes about 30 percent of an average Hoosier family's income to pay for four years at a state-funded college or university -- 31st in the nation in a recent study by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. (Dare we mention it's up to 69 percent at a private college?)

The national average is about 28 percent. While we're not too far off average, it's still a significant burden that most families can't afford. In 2000, it cost about 22 percent of an average Indiana family's income.

What that means is that if students get to college, and if they complete their degree, they are finishing with a larger debt load than their predecessors. The study shows that undergraduate students borrowed more than $4,600 in 2007. The debt load of students in states near the top of the list was closer to $2,600.

There are a lot of "ifs" in that last paragraph. Here's why -- only 23 percent of adults in Indiana have bachelor's degrees, far below the national average (the study gave Indiana a D-). While more than half of full-time, first-time college students complete their bachelor's degrees within six years (B-), the rate is much lower than the higher-performing states. The state has only a fair rate of college enrollment (C), according to the report, because only a small percentage of students do well on advanced placement tests and college entrance exams. In addition, the percentage of teens who earned a high school diploma has decreased slightly since the early '90s, according to a summary of the report in the Indianapolis Star.

One bright spot for Hoosiers is Ivy Tech Community College, which allows students to start their first two years at closer to home at a much more affordable rate and transfer most, if not all, of their credits to other state schools to finish their bachelor's degrees.

To be fair, only one state -- California -- got a passing grade on the report card. But that doesn't excuse Indiana's performance, or anyone else's.

The report notes that college tuition rates have increased 439 percent since 1982. The median family income increased 147 percent during the same time.

The average tuition rate in Indiana this year is almost $7,000 for state-funded, four-year universities and $3,000 for two-year schools. It's almost $25,000 for private colleges. And it doesn't look to become any cheaper.

Gov. Mitch Daniels has a great idea to help more students attain their higher education goals. He calls it the Hoosier College Promise, and it would provide two years of free tuition at Ivy Tech or $6,000 in tuition to another school for families earning up to $60,000 a year.

The problem is, there's probably not going to be any money for it; the governor is waiting to see what happens with next year's revenue forecast before asking lawmakers to fund the initiative.

Elkhart County residents and businesses know firsthand that educational attainment affects the local economy. So, once again, it's a matter of priorities.