♪ >> juju: this is "nightline" >> tonight, sticker shock. the sky rocketing cost of college. >> what's the scariest part? >> not going into debt. and you start to wonder like is my family going to help me? is the loans going to be enough?

>> some student facing crippling debt. >> is 15,000 a semester really worth it. >> we took that question to the secretary of education. >> we have a mess, a broken system that we're fixing. >> some now asking is college even worth it? >> plus jennifer laurence, the oscar winner star of hits like silver linings play book. >> this dance thing i can only do it if i have a partner. >> i'm not going to dance with you. >> and the hunger games. >> i volunteer as tribute. >> back on the big screen in a new comedy. >> hi. mind if i touch your weiner. >> what? >> your dog. >> a role written especially for her. >> i just want them to laugh. i just want everybody to laugh and have a good time. >> and the big changes in her personal life. and denver nuggets. >> at last the long wait is over. >> making history winning their first championship in their first appearance in the nba finals. ♪ "nightline" will be right back. ♪ hat feeling of having to rewash dishes that didn't get clean?

i don't. new cascade platinum plus has me doing dishes... differently. scrub? soak? nope. i just scrape, load and i'm done. only platinum plus is bigger. with double the dawn grease fighting power and double the scrubbing power. for a no rewash clean... and a cabinet ready shine. rewash? not in my house. upgrade to new cascade platinum plus. dare to dish differently. you didn't choose your hairline. hot flashes,

the flu, or that thing when your knee just gives out for no reason. you didn't choose your bad back or this. or... that. you didn't choose depression, melanoma, or lactose intolerance. but with kaiser permanente you can choose your doctor who works with other best-in-class specialists to care for all that is you. ♪ >> good evening. thank you for joining us. in a matter of weeks, the pause on repaying student loans will be over. this has some asking if the price of a college education is still worth it. we took that question to some high school seniors and the secretary of education. abc's mary bruce has their answers. >> is 15,000 a semester really

worth it? how much would i be able to pay back over the years. it's just nerve-racking. would i be able to get a good job, is my degree worth it. >> i feel like the debt just isn't really worth it. >> reporter: it's long been the american dream, get a good education, get a good job. but tell that to a high school senior. >> when we talk about graduation it gets nerve-racking, like really nerve-racking. >> reporter: graduates like this are getting ready to take a daunting step. what's the scariest part. >> not going into debt. you start to wonder, like, is my family going to help me? is the loans going to be enough. >> reporter: with college tuition rates rising and student debt sky rocketing the middle class is often squeezed the hardest leaving many to wonder is paying for college an american nightmare? we took that question all the way to the top, to the secretary of education, miguel cardona. you seem to really be living proof of the american dream and the power of the public

education system in our country, proof that the system is working. >> yeah. >> reporter: and available for anyone who works hard. >> yeah. >> reporter: do you think that is still the case today? >> i do. i really do. i still believe education is the great equalizer. i believe that in this country you have tremendous opportunity. >> reporter: but many are wondering if that opportunity is available to all. the biden administration's fix for the system has focused on forgiving student debt. >> we will forgive $10,000 in outstanding federal student loans. >> reporter: but at the heart of the college crisis, students are trying to avoid that debt in the first place. back in 1963, it cost about $8,000 per year in today's money to attend a four-year public institution, and a little over $15,000 to go to a private school. fast forward to 2022, those public schools now averaging more than $20,000 a year, with private universities ballooning to over $45,000 a year.

it's led more than 40 million adults to take on staggering debt, owing $1.6 trillion to the education department. sarah harborson a former college admissions counselor says schools are driving up costs to compete for applicants. >> they have buildings that need to be renovated or replaced. facilities that need to look a certain way to attract prospective applicants or prospective students to ultimately apply. so a college feels like they are entitled to have a tuition that is incredibly high. but ultimately, it's the admissions office that is the one responsible for how well the college or university does. >> reporter: it's a tough financial reality that these graduating seniors here at the harbor school here in new york know all too well. >> raise your hand if you are stressed out by the college application process.

you're looking to the ceiling your hand doesn't go high enough? >> no. >> reporter: located across from manhattan on governor's island, it's a public school unlike any other. the daily commute a fairy ride past the statue of liberty and inside students with big dreams. for haley, that dream has always been to go to syracuse university, but the private school comes with a hefty price tag, $85,000 for the next school year. >> i like their spirit. there's a lot of diversity. there's people i could recognize myself with. it was literally a dream, but it's not how it works. >> reporter: after years of hard work and suffering a personal loss, she opted not to even apply because she felt she couldn't afford it. >> my dad died, and i was really hoping that, even with him not here i would get to like go to the place i like dreamed of. >> it dawned on me like the world isn't really a fair place.

even if my mom makes six figures, which honestly i used to think it was like a lot, it really isn't with just one parent and three other siblings. >> getting financial aid is not for the faint of heart. it is not a simple process. since most people don't pay the sticker price, most people don't know what it's going to cost. it's a very weird thing to have one of the biggest expenses in your life have a price tag on it that's completely unknown. >> reporter: if you're middle class and make only like 80 k that's it. >> you're not poor enough. >> that's the conversation. are you poor? how poor are you? you're not poor enough. that's why it's middle right? you're stuck and it's hard to climb from that. >> reporter: like so many others caught in the middle, the harbor school students had to adjust their expectationsment three out of four, dough aing 0, haley and trinity, had to forego their top choice. >> for a lot of people there is a sense college is attainable if you just work really hard, right, you can get there, you can pay for it, there are

options out there. is that realistic? >> no. >> no. >> no but that's a privilege to think that way. if you think that hard that working hard is good enough because it's not. we all work hard. a lot of people work hard. there's this thing where people don't have -- a lot of people have ambition. that's not the problem. the problem is access. >> reporter: giving the high barrier to access and crippling debt we asked the country's top education official if a college education can still be that great equalizer. >> yes. i feel very strongly that it can be. >> reporter: how? it's brutal. >> there are multiple pathways we're pushing. you can think of four year college as one pathway. we're going to have millions of jobs high skill high paying jobs that don't need a four year degree. it might mean you go to a two-year college. we have a mess. we have a broken system that we're fixing. >> reporter: so we've been following along with some students at a public school who have really big dreams, i wish

you could meet them and i want to play for you what they said about going through this process and what this has been like for them and get your thoughts. >> i had like this whole elaborate plan in my head where i would work and get all these loans and pay them off after i graduated. and it's like, dude if you're in debt for that your whole life and you're paying off this your whole life you're not going to have money to take the risks or whatever. >> does that make you feel like the whole student loan process is broken. >> absolutely. >> you can ruin your financial life at 18 but you can't like buy a beer. >> wow. >> reporter: what do you say to them? >> they're right. they're right. the system is not designed to give high school students the options that they need to be successful. what he said, you can't buy a beer but you can get into financial ruin. he's absolutely right. and this is why we're increasing transparency. this is why we're making an income-driven plan so that they graduate they can pay what they can afford.

>> reporter: do you think the student loan program is effective. >> it is for some but not enough. think about the wasted talent and potential in this country because we're not making it more affordable. it works for some but not enough. >> reporter: navigating the application process can be intimidating but the student at harbor school said they have a secret weapon their counselor jessica. it's her job to give them a reality check. >> it's one of the most gut wrenching and awful conversations i have. who am i to say this is not feasible after all the effort they made into getting their recommendation letters and is as and everything they needed to do. >> with rising costs come rising doubts. even though college graduates can make $1 million more throughout their lifetime a majority of americans no longer believe college is worth the price. college enrollment down almost 10% in the last decade with many students now taking a different

path. >> is college worth it? i do not think that question is being asked, because people don't recognize that there's a return in terms of higher wages down the road. i think people are asking that question because they don't necessarily see that return as being worth the cost. >> reporter: back at harbor's college day, students are sharing their different plans. some of them have chosen to go to trade schools like jennifer rojas. >> i'm not really interested in other things other than carpentry, i can't do the four years. >> but trinity diego haley and mauricio have faith the traditional college is right for them despite the challenges. trinity will be attending syracuse on a full ride after getting wait listed in harvard. >> i definitely want to be in the journalism space i also dreamed of being oprah in a way. >> diego also studying journalist but he'll still have to pay about $2,000 a year. >> when you read a really good

book or article it's like dam makes you feel something i want to be one of those people >> mauricio is leaving new york to attend college in massachusetts. he may be taking out loans to cover about $5,500 a year. >> use my degree to open a small business, i don't know what kind of small business i'm going to open yet but coming from a family where a lot of business owners have originated from, like i want to become one of them. >> reporter: and haley, who dreamt of going to syracuse, will instead be going to albany state. she's looking for scholarships to cover $10,000 a year. >> college is like a gamble. it's never guarantied to ever like, to ever get where you want to be. there was always something in the way. >> reporter: but haley already knows what she's going to tackle next. >> if i stay in school, then i might continue the route of going to medical school, like going and being a doctor and all that.

. >> reporter: there's no easy solution for rising college costs but these students have managed to balance their dreams with reality. >> byron: our thanks to mary. coming up, jennifer laurence, from real to real life with the oscar winning actress. what inspired her return to the big screen? ♪ detect this: living with hiv, i learned i can stay undetectable with fewer medicines. that's why i switched to dovato. dovato is for some adults who are starting hiv-1 treatment or replacing their current hiv-1 regimen. detect this: no other complete hiv pill uses fewer medicines to help keep you undetectable than dovato. detect this: most hiv pills contain 3 or 4 medicines. dovato is as effective with just 2. research shows people who take hiv treatment as prescribed and get to and stay undetectable can no longer transmit hiv through sex.

don't take dovato if you're allergic to its ingredients, or if you take dofetilide. taking dovato with dofetilide can cause serious or life-threatening side effects. hepatitis b can become harder to treat while on dovato. don't stop dovato without talking to your doctor, as your hepatitis b may worsen or become life-threatening. serious or life-threatening side effects can occur, including allergic reactions, lactic acid buildup, and liver problems. if you have a rash or other allergic reaction symptoms, stop dovato and get medical help right away. tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver problems, or if you are, may be, or plan to be pregnant. dovato may harm your unborn baby. use effective birth control while on dovato. do not breastfeed while taking dovato. most common side effects are headache, nausea, diarrhea, trouble sleeping, tiredness, and anxiety. detect this: i stay undetectable with fewer medicines. ask your doctor about switching to dovato. i've become a bit of an expert in suncare... an spf-icianado if you will. my bottle of choice? neutrogena® ultra sheer

a lightweight blend that protects 6 layers deep with a smooth dry-touch finish. this round's on me. neutrogena® ultra sheer pepcid complete works fast and lasts for powerful heartburn relief. with an antacid that starts working in seconds- and a acid reducer that relieves occasional heartburn all day. other brands can't do both. pepcid complete.

thousands of women with metastatic breast cancer are living in the moment and taking ibrance. ibrance with an aromatase inhibitor is for adults with hr+/her2- metastatic breast cancer as the first hormonal based therapy. ibrance plus letrozole significantly delayed disease progression versus letrozole. ibrance may cause low white blood cell counts that may lead to serious infections. ibrance may cause severe inflammation of the lungs. both of these can lead to death. tell your doctor if you have new or worsening chest pain, cough, or trouble breathing. before taking ibrance, tell your doctor if you have fever, chills, or other signs of infection, liver or kidney problems, are or plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. for more information about side effects, talk to your doctor.

be in your moment. ask your doctor about ibrance, a pfizer product. ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ ( ♪ ) ( ♪ ) ( ♪ ) ( ♪ ) ( ♪ ) ( ♪ ) visit your local volvo retailer to explore electrified vehicles during the summer safely savings event. ♪ >> byron: now to oscar winner jennifer laurence and her new comedy "no hard feelings". tonight how a craig's list ad

inspired the role and the other big changes in her personal life. here's abc's george stephanopoulos. >> reporter: it is kind of a crazy premise. >> yeah. >> reporter: these ultimate helicopter parents trying to set their young son up with you. >> yeah. the premise made us laugh multiple times a day. >> hi. mind if i touch your weiner. >> what? >> your dog. >> reporter: jennifer laurence, the academy award winner who for years made headlines for her hilarious interviews. >> got my hair and makeup done and then i came to the oscars. i'm sorry i did a shot before. sorry. >> reporter: now bringing her comedic chops to the big screen in "no hard feelings". >> how about i give you a ride home. >> this isn't the way to my house. >> it's a short cut. you're my hostage. what you got down there? something for me? >> why? >> you tried kidnapping me. >> you're 19, grow up.

>> it definitely is a job at the helicopter parents. they're trying to do what they think is going to make their son happy and bring him out of a shell. >> reporter: laurence plays 32 year old maddie a ride share with money problems who answered an unexpected craig's list ad to save her family home. >> need money for college date our 19-year-old son. >> looking for a kind intelligent woman in early 20s in exchange we give you a buck regal clean rust free 40,000 miles. >> you're considering this. >> i've done one night stands and gotten zero puke regals. >> reporter: is it true based on a real craig's list ad. >> yeah, the director's a good friend of mine been a friend a long time and he showed me the craig's list ad and i thought it was hilarious, i in no way thought there was going to be in the movie there was no movie it was just an ad and four years later he sent me the script.

>> reporter: he wrote it for you. >> yes. >> reporter: what made you to do a comedy. >> i wasn't ready to work. >> reporter: you had just had a baby. >> just had a baby so i definitely wasn't planning on working and i read the script and it was too funny, it was the funniest thing i ever read. >> reporter: laurence's return to the silver spring is a home coming mortgage a decade after the break through role winter's bone catapulted her into the spotlight, she quickly became one of the most sought after actresses in hollywood landing the coveted role of cat necessary everdean in the hunger games. >> i volunteer as tribute. >> reporter: after mastering archery for the role she gave diane sawyer a lesson. >> your form is horrible. i showed diane archery today and she nailed it. >> reporter: in 2013 she took home an oscar for her role in

silver lining play book. >> thank you this is nuts. >> reporter: a few years later she became the youngest actress to garner four oscar nominations at just 25 years old all before launching her own production company in 2018. >> reporter: tell me about your producing life now. >> it's good, it's busy but focused and streamlined. i don't take on anything i can't personally read every draft off and give notes on. >> reporter: it's a lot of work. >> hard work on a small amount of things. >> reporter: it must be fun to use a different muscle. >> yeah it is. >> reporter: the actress is the producer of no hard feelings. >> he'll have a long island iced tea. >> this is the worst iced tea i've ever had. >> reporter: what a fine co-star is andrew. >> unbelievable. we wouldn't have made the movie if we couldn't find the right percy and we auditioned some great actors and it was just immediate. relieving. >> let me just get -- >> stay back. >> let go. >> stay back. get out of here come on. >> don't touch me. >> oh!

[bleep]. >> [bleep]. >> reporter: he has these mix of a little bit of a nerd, obviously super smart but also he's kind of a cool kid. >> oh, yeah. no, he was -- i was really worried that my 20-year-old co-star was going to annoy me but when the movie start asked i was like i have to hang out with a 20-year-old all day and within minutes, he's so smart and cool and dialed and he put off going to harvard to do this movie. very percy like. >> reporter: very much like percy. what do you want people to take away from this movie? >> i just want them to laugh i want everyone to laugh and have a good time. >> reporter: for the producer and actress the role of a lifetime has always been away from the bright lights of hollywood. >> reporter: i was looking back and you did an interview with barbara walters ten years from now. >> where do you see yourself in ten years? >> not in la, in a house on a big property and maybe starting a family. everything's calm, i have a

minivan. >> reporter: you started a family. >> i have a volvo. >> reporter: close. >> that is not a minivan. >> reporter: less than ten years later laurence now lives out that dream role raising her son hi with her husband art dealer cook morroney they married in 2019. >> reporter: what do you hope you're going to the be doing next? >> there is no next. once you start your family it's the greatest thing in the world. i'm just going to try to take in every second and enjoy it. >> reporter: do you think you'll be a helicopter mom? >> probably and i'll have to work on it. >> reporter: our thanks to george. no hard feelings hits theaters on june 23rdrd. coming up, denver nuggets, their big celebration after making nba history. ♪ whatcha looking at babe? cars on cars.com what's wrong with this one? i just got promoted, so i'm looking for something... more. we all deserve more. ♪

we all deserve some ice cream. ice cream! ice cream! ice cream! caio bella! caio. caio. 2 million cars for 2 million possibilities. cars.com where to next? so i didn't think i needed swiffer. until... i saw how easily it picked up my hair! every time i dried it! it only takes a minute. look at that! the heavy-duty cloths are extra thick! for amazing trap and lock, even for his hair. wow. and for dust, i love my heavy-duty duster. the fluffy fibers trap dust on contact, up high and all around without having to lift a thing. i'm so hooked! swiffer. so wow! so worth it.

to the middle of everything! friends that bike together. hike together! with goats. can't wait to see what tomorrow brings, here in the middle of everything! is it possible to protect my business from cyber threats?

can't wait to see what tomorrow brings, it is, with comcast business. helping every connected device stay protected. yours. your employees'. even... susan? -hers, too. safe. secure. and powered by the next generation 10g network. with comcast business, advanced security isn't just possible. it's happening. get started with fast speeds and advanced security for $49.99 a month for 12 months. plus ask how to get up to a $750 prepaid card with qualifying internet.

♪ >> byron: and, finally tonight, a big night for denver [cheers and applause] >> byron: clinching their first nba championship in game 5 against the miami heat, team making their first finals appearance super star jokic denver fans celebrating. congrats to the nuggets and the heat. that's "nightline" this evening, see you right back here tomorrow. thanks for the company, america. good night.