I can go to prison with room and board for four years free of charge but I have to pay on average $28,080 for four years of tuition alone at a public college.

Is this an inherent side effect of capitalism? Is there a benefit to attaching enormous setbacks to getting a higher education? Why would we want to prevent the poor from becoming educated? Well anyway, I’m headed to prison, see you in a few.

(Average tuition cost source: College Board’s Trends in College Pricing 2009.)