WASHINGTON — A flagging economy, tight credit and rising tuition are teaching college students hard lessons these days. And their reward for surviving until graduation? A lean job market and plenty of debt.

"We are in a daunting time — not only because of the financial crisis and the credit crunch, but also because state budgets are being pinched as well," said Kim Anderson of Got Tuition?, a nonprofit group that advocates college affordability. "One of the first places that gets cut when there's a downturn is support for higher education."

Roughly 80 percent of the nation's 18 million higher-education students attend two- or four-year public institutions. The rest attend private colleges and universities dependent on endowments that are shrinking rapidly, making it tougher to provide needy students with financial aid, said Terry Hartle of the American Council on Education.

Tuition and fees for in-state students attending a public or private school rose slightly more than the 5.6 percent rate of inflation this year, according to a new report from the College Board, which tracks higher-education expenses.

For in-state students at a four-year public university, those expenses will average $6,585 this academic year. For out-of-state students, the average will be $17,452. The average bill for private colleges will total $25,143.

Students who pay for their education by taking out loans are rethinking career choices in an economy that offers fewer options. A recent report by the Project on Student Debt found that nearly three of five members of the class of 2007 left school with debt. The average debt graduates carried that year was $20,098, a 6 percent increase over the previous year.

Congress is trying to help with legislation that would raise the maximum Pell Grant by $169 to $4,900, according to the American Council on Education. The grants are given to eligible families based on income.

In May, the U.S. Department of Education agreed to purchase federally backed student loans provided through private lenders to ensure more liquidity.

And a proposal from President-elect Barack Obama, who campaigned on a promise to make college more affordable through a new American Opportunity Tax Credit, would reimburse families for the first $4,000 of tuition in exchange for 100 hours of community service. Eligible families also would qualify for up to $4,731 in Pell grants.

Even with such help, colleges and universities "are between a rock and a hard place," said Hartle. "The ultimate question is how long and how deep the recession will be."