Another school year is underway, and for millions of Americans, that means one thing – finding ways to cope with increased tuition.

Up 8 percent over the past year alone, college tuition has increasingly become a massive financial burden on most students. According to OurFuture.org, nearly 200,000 teens nationwide will not attend school this fall due to cost, and 48 percent of low-income students cannot attend for this reason.

Those who do attend college still face increased costs due to cuts. A Federal Pell Grant now covers, on average, 39 percent of a student’s tuition, down from 84 percent 30 years ago. Even those who graduate will end up feeling the heat, as student loan payments will haunt grads for years to come.

College has never been cheap, and tuition increases are expected. But why are prices skyrocketing?

Two factors are responsible – government funding and school spending.

Questionable policy decisions certainly make those in our capital an easy object for our scorn. But the main culprit is the schools. While economic issues force politicians to cut funding or keep it the same, schools continue to spend more. While the people dishing out the money in Washington shouldn’t escape criticism, schools must also be held accountable.

Richard Vedder of the Wall Street Journal reports that colleges spend only 21 cents of each student dollar on “instruction.” Money is spent elsewhere, in areas like student recreation, athletics, etc. It is commonplace for coaches to make high six salaries.

In other words, when a school spends $1 on a student, 79 cents of that dollar will go to something other than education. Judging by these numbers, colleges are focusing more on extracurriculars than the curriculum.

In many ways, the skyrocketing tuition costs are like the escalating gas prices: many complain loudly, but do little. Just like gas is necessary to get around, college is necessary for our futures.

Between technology advances and widespread job outsourcing, the American blue-collar job is becoming a thing of the past. Just look at the poor job market. A college degree is necessary to have a chance at getting (and keeping) a job.

Therefore, you are given two options – grin and bare the cost, or look for a cheaper alternative. Yet unlike gasoline, it is a right of Americans to have access to education.

Colleges must do all they can to provide students with a quality education worth its price. They can continue to ask for more government funding, but shouldn’t continue spending before the money comes.

Is it really worth increasing tuition so there can be new uniforms for the sports teams, more games in the rec centers, new paint jobs and fancy furniture? Should potential students be forced to look at cheaper schools or just not attend college at all, so coaches and professors can make even higher salaries? Amenities and increased salaries are nice, but when schools report they lack money to keep tuition down, they shouldn’t go ahead and spend it on non-essentials.

When millions of Americans try to figure out how they will pay tuition this fall, they must know there are others to blame than just politicians. As students, family members and citizens, we must increasingly hold the schools responsible. When the government cannot hand out enough money, schools shouldn’t spend more money. Only when we hold both politicians and schools accountable for our tuition can we begin to pressure those in power to reduce costs.

Until then, look around for an extra job or play the lottery.

This could get ugly.

Columns reflect the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the Northern Star staff.