Adjusted for inflation and population growth, state funding for our university system is 35% less than what it was in 1988. As a result, New Hampshire has the highest in-state tuition in the nation, and the highest rate of student loan debt. We want to retain our talented young people, but many of them discover that it is cheaper for them to attend a state school in another state, as an out-of-stater, than to go to UNH, Keene State, or PSU. A higher percentage of New Hampshire students go out of state for college than any other state. Once we lose them, we are unlikely to get them back. We could lower the cost of our state schools by increasing funding, but the New Hampshire tax "Pledge" against any new revenue stands in the way. So we shoot ourselves in both feet.