Hitting us for all we're worth...

I am currently working on my master's degree in English at the University of North Alabama. Along with most other graduate students I have been forced to apply for student loans to pay for the overpriced tuition. I understand that graduate courses should cost more than undgrad courses, that's not what really gets me. What really gets me is that I am working on my degree in order to become a better teacher. As teachers we are all the time being told that continuing education is the key to success. This is not something that is suggested to us - we have to fulfill certain hours of continuing education to get our teaching certificates renewed. I realize there are other ways of getting these hours other than taking graduate classes, but the degree is the only way to get the raise. Why must teachers, who are way underpaid as it is, put themselves and their families into years of debt by taking out enormous student loans just to get a small raise and a few credit hours? It seems to me that there should be some sort of grant program for teachers who are working on master's degrees. This is only my opinion and I'm sure that nothing will ever happen concerning it, especially since our country and particularly the state of Alabama have a hard enough time realizing that the schools our children attend need to funded in order to be successful! Imagine that!!!!