For the first time, students in the University of Maine System next year will pay more of the cost for their education than will the state.

Last week, Chancellor Joseph Westphal announced the system’s intention to increase tuition 7.8 percent on average. Out-of-state students would see their tuition increase 9.3 percent. The plan must still be approved by the board of trustees.

The increase continues a trend that has been accelerating in higher education.

Once, making sure high school graduates had access to a college education was considered an important public investment. The nation, fresh off victory in World War II, needed a highly trained and educated work force to lead efforts at rebuilding the world. But as time passed and skepticism in government increased, the basis of higher education has shifted from public investment in the knowledge infrastructure to a personal investment, often financed through loans that pay off on an individual level.

Even the way we talk about – or sell – higher education has changed. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, workers 18 and older with a bachelor’s degree earn an average of $51,206 a year, compared to $27,915 for those with only a high school diploma. An advanced degree makes a bigger difference, with an average salary of $74,602.

We understand the dynamics that put upward pressure on college tuition. State support has been unable to keep pace with rapidly accelerating costs. According to Westphal, health insurance costs for the university system have increased more than 87 percent since 2002. At the same time, the share of the university’s money that comes from the state has decreased from 56.3 percent in 1995 to less than 40 percent this year. Tuition and fees, meanwhile, have made up some of the difference, increasing from 34 percent of the budget in 1995 to about 40 percent this year.

The University of Maine System, even with the proposed hike, remains an affordable option for most students. For the middle class – those who receive little need-based financial aid but don’t have the necessary family resources to avoid loans – the debt load gets a little higher.

Society benefits when people earn a higher degree. They contribute to gains in productivity and creativity, and represent a work force best capable of competing in the global marketplace. For the United States to remain the world’s innovator – and for Maine to capture its share of that dominance – we must treat higher education as part of our infrastructure that demands investment.