DES MOINES (AP) -- Iowa public universities received an "F" in affordability, one of 36 states to receive a failing grade, according to a report issued Wednesday.

"It's a direct result of the actions of the Iowa Legislature," Regent David Neil of La Porte City said. "We've been trying to maintain the quality of education, and we have pushed students to the end with that. We can't do it anymore."

"Measuring Up 2004," released by the nonprofit National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, says many Iowa families are struggling to afford a college education.

According to the report, 28 percent of family incomes are needed to pay for a public four-year university in Iowa, up from 18 percent a decade ago. Meanwhile, the state's poorest students devote 36 percent of their family incomes to attend a community college after financial aid is factored in, the report says.

Iowa was one of 36 states receiving an "F" in the affordability category this year. The state got a "C-minus" in 2002 and a "B" in 2000.

Tuition and fees at Iowa public universities have increased 71 percent in the past five years to an average $5,403 this school year. Costs rose 42 percent at community colleges during the same period and now average $2,754.

The California-based public policy group releases the report card every two years to help state education policy-makers evaluate and improve their states' performances.

Iowa performed well in other categories, such as preparing students for college and enrolling them in higher education. However, the report says too few students take Advanced Placement exams, which help students prepare for the rigors of college.

Will Doyle, a higher education professor at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., and a consultant on the project, said Iowa risks keeping some low- and middle-income families out of college because of rising costs.

"It's up to the state to put together policies to really help families pay for higher education," Doyle said. "What we've observed from the performance on the project is states can do a lot more."