Cost of education is a monster in the closet. The number one reason, the continuing decline in tax-supported institutions of higher education. In my state, the funding for higher ed has been in decline since the mid-90s. I think this trend is probably across the entire country since the entitlement programs continue to expand at the expense of every other program. They never run out of money for the parasites.
That's because, as a result of the 24th amendment, the parasite class is a crop which they farm for votes.
They bribe them with public money to encourage the parasites to keep them in office. It's a very clever system, and it was created by Lyndon Baines Johnson.
Fed backed loans supplies the money that was available that allowed the higher education places to keep increasing their income. A big circle. Now it has hit critical mass.