Has student debt replaced tuition as the most accurate measure of higher ed cost?

http://www.popecenter.org/commentaries/article.html?id=2573

"Student debt captures more about the true costs of college than does tuition alone; due to generous scholarships and grants, many universities’ sticker price is vastly different from what students actually end up paying. Debt represents the amount that students can’t pay by working, saving, or earning scholarships during school—and will remain with them while they start careers."