The Death of Public Education

I recently met the dean of the public law school that I attended in the '80s. Sadly the fees have gone up 40 x since then even though its a public institution. I asked why? The dean pointed out that in the '80s the State of California paid for over 80% of the costs, today less than 30%. How did we get to that point? I realize I have been dismissive of this issue in the past but with two elementary school children my concerns are growing daily. Not just because my kids will face this crises, but also because of those less fortunate than I may not have the opportunity to attend law school. Not only are the costs increasing, sadly, public loans have all but evaporated also. Rather than have the opportunity to receive 2% APR federal loans, students are now steered to private loans which have APRs of 8-14%. Another reason to avoid investing in one's education. I am very grateful for those in the '60s and '70s who had the foresight to provide educational opportunities for those who could attend low cost professional schools. We need more of those people today.