Birmingham-Southern College is seeking a $37.5 million government bailout after years of deficits and declining enrollment, with state legislators warning that it may close within months without the money.

Historically, the cost of utilities has been the dominant area of spending. Although that continued in FY2022, spending rose in every area tracked by the Commonfund Higher Education Price Index.

Every couple of years or so, some news outlet or organization that focuses on higher education issues decides to tackle a variant of the same basic question: Is college worth it?