Just like any other financial obligation, college tuition will always be right around the corner for those enrolled in a postsecondary institution.  For a select few, scholarships will be enough to cover the hefty shoulder weight that the cost of college tuition brings.  Others who may not find themselves as fortunate must pay thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of dollars to put themselves or their dependents through school.  When Harvard University, the first postsecondary institution in the United States, opened in 1636, its tuition erred around the lower end of $300.  Fast forward to present day, where Harvard’s tuition is $38,000 and $300 will buy a textbook, if that.  While inflation is a factor to consider, it should be noted that in 1936, 300 years after the university was founded, $300 had about the same buying power as around $5,200 does in 2017.  The average cost of tuition for an in-state student to attend a public university is $9,650, which is already over $4,000 than it would have costed if the tuition rate was the same as when Harvard was founded.  When an out-of-state student is factored in, the cost dramatically rises to an average of $24,930.  When looking at the cost of private universities, the cost rises even more.  College tuition is drastically higher than it used to be.  Americans across the nation struggle to pay their costly tuition bills and with the continuous raising of tuition, only more will begin to struggle.  To combat this, all universities, both public and private, should lower tuition rates.  Lowering college tuition benefits American citizens by lowering the financial obligation for students and providing more citizens with the opportunity to access higher education.  