It’s fitting that the College Board released its trends in college pricing just before Halloween. It’s frightening what many families are paying to help their children realize the American dream of a middle-income or better lifestyle.

The sticker price for tuition and fees at public four-year colleges and universities increased 4.8 percent to $8,655 over the last year. Prices increased 4.2 percent to $29,056 at private nonprofit four-year schools. That’s not including room and board.