SRQ Daily Columnist Carol Probstfeld is president of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota.

Anything with a trillion-dollar price tag is serious business. The total student loan debt in the United States is projected to be $1 trillion. If that’s an unfathomable number to you, you’re not alone. But here is another statistic that brings the reality home—two-thirds of students are graduating from U.S. colleges and universities with some level of debt. Experts project that “some level of debt” averages out to about $26,000 per student.

Higher education costs have vastly exceeded the rate of inflation over the last 30 years and tuition at both public and private institutions is three to four times higher than in the 1970s. Public or private, on-line or in-person, community college or university, the prices have skyrocketed. States are spending less money on higher education, while the availability of federal financial aid and the high demand for education has resulted in increasing costs—the law of supply and demand.

Higher education costs have entered the national political arena, with democratic contenders for the presidency pledging to address the debt crisis and provide community college education for free. President Barack Obama is engaging Congress with a plan to make community college free for every student who can maintain a 2.5 grade point average.

No one will argue that higher education has great benefits. Graduates earn more money over their lifetimes, their children are more likely to pursue higher education, and in general, those with a degree enjoy a better standard of living. We simply cannot allow the price of higher education to be a lifetime of student loan debt.

While we are not offering “free” community college at the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, we have not raised tuition for five years. Community college provides a low-cost alternative to a public university or private institution. At SCF, a student can earn an Associate of Arts degree in two years and then move on to a university, or earn a workforce degree that allows them to start a new job or advance in their profession. Either way, our students leave with less debt and a degree that allows to them to pursue their goals.

The average debt for a full-time SCF student is about $6,000, if they finance two years and summer classes all on student loans. It is still debt, but about a third to half of that incurred for the same time at a Florida university. Plus, students can reduce expenses by living at home, keeping their jobs and remaining in the community.

Through SCF, high school students can also decrease future education costs by dual enrolling in college courses provided on our campus or at their high school. Students can complete some core courses and move on more quickly once they enroll in a college or university after high school graduation.

At SCF, our goal is to provide an environment in which students can graduate and take advantage of their education without owing a great deal of money.

You can get anywhere from here… and at SCF, we are here to get you there.

SRQ Daily Columnist Carol Probstfeld is president of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota.