Across America, “affordability” is on everyone’s lips. Politicians debate how to weaponize it, families agonize over it, and students worry about it. From housing to health care to groceries, the cost of living rises faster than most families can keep pace.

Yet nowhere does affordability feel more personal — or more consequential — than in higher education: that vital bridge between dreams and careers for both recent high school grads and adults seeking to improve their futures.

Every year, millions of families and individuals face the same gut-check: How will we afford college?

The headlines tell the story. Tuition and expenses at many four-year universities now exceeds $40,000-$50,000 per year. Even the California State Universities, once the bastions of accessibility, have drifted upward in cost.

The result is predictable: record student-debt burdens and too many bright young people deferring or abandoning college altogether.

But here in the Santa Clarita Valley, we’ve quietly built something extraordinary — a model that makes higher education both accessible and affordable.

At College of the Canyons, tuition for a full academic year runs about $1,200. And through a network of state and local programs — from California’s College Promise to the COC Foundation’s own scholarships and grants — most students can........

© Santa Clarita Valley Signal