at minimum.

至少：

STUDENT 2: Itís really complicated. I just donít understand how we have to pay so much

學生2：這真的很複雜。我只是不明白為什麼我們要付這麼多錢。

money to get an education, especially in America.

錢來接受教育，尤其是在美國。

STUDENT 3: Itís overwhelming. I'm not sure what Iím going to do with my major yet, so

學生3：這是壓倒性的。我還不知道我的專業要做什麼，所以。

it's kind of crazy thinking about paying off all that debt but somehow itíll disappear.

這是種瘋狂的想法支付所有的債務 但不知何故，它會消失。

PROFESSOR LIN: College is getting increasingly expensive. Tuition at U.S. universities has

林教授：大學越來越貴了。美國大學的學費已經

risen faster than inflation in every year since 1981. So why is the price of college

自1981年以來，每年的漲幅都高於通貨膨脹率。那麼為什麼大學的價格

rising so quickly? It's basic supply and demand. Weíre seeing enormous increases in the demand

漲得這麼快？這是基本的供應和需求。我們看到巨大的增長 在需求

for higher education, and universities can respond in two ways: increasing the supply

對於高等教育來說，大學可以從兩個方面來應對：增加供給。

by accepting more students or increasing the tuition. Since most colleges can't keep up

通過接受更多的學生或增加學費。由於大多數學院無法跟上。

by increasing enrollment, tuitions must rise.

通過提高入學率，學費必須上漲。

To understand what's happening, we need to examine what's been driving that demand. There

為了瞭解發生了什麼，我們需要研究是什麼在推動這種需求。有

are two main factors. First of all, the payoff from a college degree has been growing over

是兩個主要因素。首先，大專學歷的回報率在不斷提高，在

time. In 1980 college graduates earned 50 percent more than high school graduates. In

的時間。1980年，大學畢業生的收入比高中畢業生高出50%。在

2008 they earned over 90 percent more. In addition, a college degree increases your

2008年，他們的收入增加了90%以上。此外，大學學位會增加你的

chances of finding a job, even in a sluggish economy. In the May 2012 employment report,

即使在經濟不景氣的情況下，也有機會找到工作。在2012年5月的就業報告中。

the unemployment rate for high school graduates rose to 8.1 percent while the unemployment

高校畢業生的失業率上升到8.1%，但同時，高中畢業生的失業率也在上升。

rate for college graduates fell to 3.9 percent. So it should be no surprise then that young

大學畢業生的比率下降到3.9%。所以說，年輕的

people today are pursuing higher education in larger numbers than ever before. But there's

今天的人們追求高等教育的人數比以往任何時候都多。但有'的

more to the story.

更多的故事。

STUDENT 4: Itís kind of something that I don't understand. You know, costs are constantly

學生4：這是一種我不明白的事情。你知道，成本是不斷

rising. I mean I guess it has to do withó Every price rises, every cost rises, but college

漲我的意思是，我想這與價格上漲，成本上漲有關，但大學

costs rise so exponentially that I think that it just doesn't equate.

成本成倍增長，我認為它只是不'等於。

PROFESSOR LIN: There's a second major reason for the increase in demand, and this one is

林教授：需求的增加還有第二個主要原因，這個就是

the result of public policy. To make colleges more affordable, federal and state governments

公共政策的結果。為了讓大學更實惠，聯邦和州政府

have been giving subsidies to studentsómost notably through government-backed student

一直在給學生提供補貼ó最主要的是通過政府支持的學生。

loans, but also through grants and tax credits. In fact, as prices rise there's political

貸款，但也通過補助金和稅收抵免。事實上，隨著價格的上漲，有'的政治。

pressure to increase these subsidies.

增加這些補貼的壓力。

What many students don't realize is these subsidies actually lead to higher tuitions.

很多學生沒有意識到的是，這些補貼實際上導致了更高的學費。

When you subsidize something, it's cheaper for people to consume. So people consume more

當你補貼一些東西的時候，人們消費起來就會更便宜。所以人們消費更多

of it and demand rises. So while students may want more subsidies to make college more

的，需求也會上升。所以，雖然學生們可能希望有更多的補貼，讓大學變得更

affordable, ironically more subsidies actually make college less affordable, because they

負擔得起，具有諷刺意味的是，更多的補貼實際上使大學負擔不起，因為他們

fuel the demand thatís driving tuitions upward. Instead of being helped by the subsidies,

刺激需求，推動學費上漲。而不是被幫助的補貼，

students are just taking on more debt than ever before.

學生們只是承擔了比以往更多的債務。

And this rising demand also drives up prices in another way. Because colleges have no trouble

而這種需求的上升，也從另一個方面推高了價格。因為高校不難發現

filling seats, even with record-high tuitions, theyíve felt no pressure to cut costs. Instead,

填補座位，即使是創紀錄的高學費，他們已經感到沒有壓力，削減成本。相反，

colleges have spent more. Fancy student centers, dining halls, athletic facilities, and many

高校花了更多的錢。花哨的學生中心、餐廳、體育設施以及許多

more administrative staff than ever before: these additions make college more expensive

比以往任何時候都要多的行政人員：這些增加的人員使大學的費用更加昂貴。

without increasing the value of the diploma. The rising price of college education is a

而不增加文憑的價值。大學教育價格的上漲是一個

heavy burden for young people and their families. Fortunately, because we know the main reasons

對於年輕人及其家庭來說，這是一個沉重的負擔。所幸的是，由於我們知道主要原因

behind rising tuitionsópromises of higher wages, and increased subsidiesówe can start

在學費上漲的背後，我們可以開始承諾提高工資，增加補貼。

to look for solutions.

來尋找解決辦法。