A policy argument pushing back against higher education skepticism says affordability must be addressed as a primary strategy to rebuild public trust. The piece cites tuition growth over two decades and links declining public confidence to fears about return on investment. It points to tools like the College Scorecard and emphasizes that debt and cost pressure are already shaping student decisions—citing reported rates of students considering leaving because of costs and adults reporting cost as a major reason for not enrolling or dropping out. The editorial also frames the affordability challenge as an economic issue tied to the workforce: it argues postsecondary education and training increasingly underpin job requirements, raising the stakes for federal and institutional approaches that improve price accessibility and outcomes transparency.