A surprising turnabout for college tuition

College isn't what it used to be, at least when it comes to tuition.Tuition hikes have slowed considerably in the last year and are now matching the rate of inflation, according to new data from the Labor Department. That's a welcome relief for families and students who have struggled with decades of tuition increases that far outpaced inflation and meant that earning a diploma increasingly took a bigger bite out of a family's paycheck.A college education may be more important than ever in a job