Flush with revenue surpluses, some states are considering waiving tuition fees at two-year community colleges. Advocates cite figures from a University of Michigan study which shows that persons age 25 through 34 who received technical training at community colleges earn an average of $32,000 annually -- compared to only $25,000 for those who take two years of college academic courses.

• North Carolina's senate has passed a $12 million a year plan eliminating community college tuition for high school graduates.

• The Massachusetts senate has passed a bill capping community college tuition at $500 a year for state residents and abolishing it entirely for low-income families.

• Some California lawmakers want to eliminate community college tuition completely.

• Michigan Gov. John Engler has proposed using economic development funds to provide scholarships for 10,000 students training for high-tech jobs at community colleges.

But critics contend the modest tuition charged by community colleges -- averaging $1,600 a year -- isn't keeping high school graduates out. Moreover, last year's passage of a $1,500 federal tuition tax credit makes the schools even more affordable.

Some observers contend that eliminating tuition is a solution in search of a problem. Many grants and scholarships are already available to students who can demonstrate financial need. Moreover, low tuition rates that allow students to drop classes without losing much money already have generated high drop-out rates.

Sources: State Rep. Leo Daughtry (R-N.C.), "Tuition Cheap Enough," and Editorial, "State Offers of Free Tuition Ticket to Thriving Economies," both USA Today, July 21, 1998.