College officials worry that too many of their peers use merit aid to "buy" students whose test scores will burnish their institutions' rankings in "U.S. News & World Report." In fact, the debate about financial aid on today's campuses has led to the near vilification of merit aid. The lament is that money is often diverted…

Someday students seeking a college loan might go to a Web site, fill out a brief questionnaire, and get connected to the lender with the best possible rate. Such a system would bring cheer to students seeking straight answers, lenders seeking fair competition, and colleges seeking relief from investigations led by Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo…

Despite the complexity of current financial aid application forms, federal officials want to stabilize the process of assessing financial need and are not likely to simplify the forms soon. (MSE)

Discusses how, as the economy worsens, appeals of decisions on financial aid are on the rise at colleges across the United States. (EV)