This article talks about a new report card on higher education which suggests that, though some states have improved their grades on preparing students for college, nearly all deserve to be on academic probation for failing to keep college affordable. This message was echoed by many of the advocates, researchers, and experts who took turns at the figurative bullhorn last week for the release of "Measuring Up 2008," the fifth in a biennial series of reports by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. "Measuring Up" covers several key indicators of the state of higher education, including academic preparation for college in high school, which showed improvement in some states. But as participants at the event pointed out, preparation does not mean much if money shortages in state coffers and in families' wallets prevent students from going to college. Considering families' ability to pay, the availability of need-based financial aid, low tuition, and other factors, the report gave every state except California an F on college affordability. According to the report, the cost of college, including tuition, fees, room, and board, soared 439 percent between the early 1980s and 2006--almost triple the rise in the median family income over the same time. The double whammy of soaring tuition and stagnant wages means too many Americans are seeing college slipping out of their grasp, warns the head of the biennial report card on postsecondary education.