Surrounded by city leaders, foundation partners, and kindergartners, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom launched last Tuesday a new initiative that could have a significant impact on the city’s Asian-American community. The pilot, Kindergarten to College, will make San Francisco the first city in the nation to seed college savings accounts for children entering its public schools.

A recent report by the nonprofit project on student debt contains some troubling news for Iowa families: In the class of 2008, students graduating from college in Iowa finished with more debt, on average, than students in any other state. Iowa State University, for its part, showed up on the report's list of "High Debt Public Colleges and Universities," those institutions notable for having very high student debt levels.

This month, as parents of college-age students sign promissory notes for student loans and watch tuition checks diminish their bank accounts, Congress is encouraging all parents to wake up and start planning. While National College Savings Month -- meant to spread awareness about the need to save for higher education -- has a laudable goal, promoting the importance of saving won't do much to help struggling families afford the cost of higher education.