Providing college students with free textbooks is no easy task. That seems to be the major lesson from several efforts to produce e-books that are low-cost or free to help reduce students' costs. Money pressures, slow adoption by professors, and quality concerns stand in the way as these projects hope to rival traditional publishing. Take Flat…

When Heather Berg arrived at the University of Virginia in the fall of 2011, she was struck by the seemingly posh lifestyle many of her fellow students enjoyed. Now finishing her second year, she has friends who also felt that culture shock at first. But it's been hard to find them, and to speak candidly with anyone about the impact of money--or…

In this digital age, teaching has transcended the classroom. So why should school walls confine college counseling? The question is driving innovation that could change the way students prepare for college and careers. Just as learning is now a hybrid of face-to-face and virtual interactions, the transmission of college know-how is fast becoming a…

Inside campus libraries and dormitory rooms, thousands of students connect to the Internet not only to study with online systems like Blackboard but also to watch movies and TV shows on Netflix. Computers, smartphones, wireless printers, tablets, iPods, Xboxes, handheld gaming systems, e-readers, smart TVs, Blu-ray players--students now bring an…

In the 2009-2010 academic year, women accounted for nearly two-thirds of the 270,600 American students going overseas. Indeed, the proportion of men studying overseas has remained the same--or flatlined, to put it less charitably--for more than two decades. Sending a broader cross-section of majors abroad has not made a dent in the gender gap…

Several stumbles by American colleges in setting up programs with foreign partners have called attention to problems inherent in making such arrangements. State University of New York Empire State College has allowed a university in Albania to deliver diplomas in its name. In North Dakota, state auditors issued a scathing review of dual-degree…

This article features Antioch College, an old campus with a new future. With no tuition, no accreditation, and a mostly empty campus, the college is making a slow and careful start. Reopening a college that had been shuttered for three years certainly qualifies--especially a college with a rich history that, at this point, is equal parts blessing…

Matthew Reilly's roundabout journey to college took a painful, decisive turn after a nighttime crash in Iraq. In 2008, six months into his first combat tour with the Army, Mr. Reilly and nine soldiers from his platoon were pursuing an insurgent when their armored fighting vehicle slammed into a roadblock. It was 2 o'clock in the morning, and fresh…

At many colleges, taking time off to care for a relative, or missing a few days of class to attend a funeral, can be difficult for students. They may encounter a professor who tells them, in so many words, to suck it up. They might have difficulty negotiating extensions for assignments and make-up dates for exams. Although most institutions have a…

Hunger on campus is part of a lingering national problem that grew after the financial crisis that began in late 2007. In an unforgiving economy, many students across the country struggle not only to pay tuition but also to buy food. Colleges and nonprofit groups have noticed, and more are reacting. Food pantries are cropping up on two-year and…

Who hasn't at least once had the feeling of being remade through music? Who is there who does not date a new phase in life to hearing this or that symphony or song? But does music constantly provide revelation--or does it have some other effects, maybe less desirable? For those who teach, the question is especially pressing. Students tend to spend…

The sale of bodily goods or services--"body commodification"--is nothing new among college students. But strides in medical technology, the encroachment of market values on all facets of life, and the reach and culture of the Internet have combined to create a fertile environment for people who want or need to exploit the value of their skin or…

As the economy sputters and outcry over the cost of college continues, more students keep enrolling--even if, in the past year, some have used campuses to protest their debt burden and what they see as other economic injustices. Enrollment has ticked up, but who goes to college and how they do it are changing. Students long dubbed…

For international educators, 2012 may well be remembered as the Year of Scrutiny, when perennial questions about overseas programs became more pointed. Missteps by some American colleges have led to a sharper focus on how they handle their recruitment of foreign students and their campuses abroad. Accreditors urge universities to be more watchful…

Like many Americans caught up in the economic downturn, college students are worried about money. Now research indicates that financial worries may affect their academic performance. The author presents the results of this year's National Survey of Student Engagement. The survey reveals that more than a third of seniors and more than a quarter of…