Measuring Up 2006: The National Report Card on Higher Education said since the early '90s, colleges and universities in Pennsylvania have become steadily less affordable every year.

"Cost has risen nationwide, raising cost of tuition, and appropriations is our main problem," Penn State spokesman Geoff Rushton said. "Fortunately, this year we've gotten more than $100 million in cost cuts."

Despite the low grade Pennsylvania received, the state was no worse off than many other states. There were 43 states that failed in the affordability category this year, seven more than in 2004.

In fact, not one state received an "A" or a "B" this year.

Out-of-state students, who have a higher tuition rate than Pennsylvania residents, have to pay $22,194 this year.

"Out of state tuition, I don't know... is kind of extreme," Maryland resident Jessica Li (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) said.

Penn State President Graham Spanier said if the university receives the state appropriations it proposed, next year's tuition will rise another 4.8 percent.

Penn State saw a 5.6 percent tuition increase for the 2006-2007 academic year.

Although the affordability of attending Penn State has declined, it hasn't had a negative effect on applications, Bob Snyder, director in the office of student aid, said.

"There are a multitude of factors," he said. "Certainly football is out there."

Anne Petersen, an admissions counselor, said the increase of students graduating from high school also contributes to the high volume of applications.

Unless American colleges and universities improve their affordability, students may not receive an adequate education and other countries may soon surpass U.S. students, Patrick M. Callan, president of the National Center, said in the article.

Callan said the baby boom generation was the best-educated generation in U.S. history. He said he is worried about the generation that follows.

In addition to affordability issues, Measuring Up: The National Report Card on Higher Education also said Pennsylvania is one of the states in which there are there are gaps between ethnic groups in college enrollment rates.

The enrollment rate for white students is 39 percent and for non-white students 21 percent in Pennsylvania, according to the article.

In an e-mail message, David Kuskowski, director of recruitment, said in the past three years, Penn State has increased minority freshman enrollment from 18 percent to 20 percent.

Although the National Report Card statistics look negative, Kuskowski said Penn State is a very diverse community.

"I am confident that our efforts to promote the value of diversity are having a positive impact on Penn State's students as well as within the communities that Penn State serves," he wrote.