College Acceptance: Check. Paying For It: A Big Question Mark.

Lots of colleges and universities have announced tuition hikes for the upcoming school year, just as inflation is taking a bite out of many families' budgets.

Still, NPR's Elissa Nadworny explains that the real cost of college for most students has actually been falling for the past few years, after decades of growth.

But college is still very expensive, and it can feel out of reach for some students. Two Washington, D.C. high school students explain how they're trying to make the math work.

In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

This episode was produced by Connor Donevan. It was edited by William Troop. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.