Ivy Tech's president is touting the school's success in holding costs down, in testimony to a U.S. Senate committee.

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Thomas Snyder was one of four college presidents invited to testify at a hearing on college affordability before the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Snyder boasts Ivy Tech costs less adjusted for inflation than it did four years ago. He says the school has capped the number of required textbooks, offered more online courses, and taken advantage of unified statewide purchasing to slash overhead costs.

And Snyder says more and more Indiana students are earning Ivy Tech credit while still in high school. He says those dual-credit courses have saved students $12 million in tuition.

But Snyder says community colleges have done better than four-year universities at controlling costs. He notes college costs are outpacing both inflation and income growth, and charges there's often a disconnect between funding and actual costs.

Snyder joined Iowa State president Steven Leath, Tallahassee (Fla.) Community College president Jim Murdaugh, and Michigan State University College of Education dean Don Heller in appearing before the committee. Also testifying was National Center for Academic Transformation president Carol Twigg.