Lower-than-anticipated returns in the bond market and higher-than-expected tuition increases have forced Duquesne University to discontinue the nation's first prepaid-tuition program and is causing other institutions to reevaluate the idea. However, interest remains high among some. (MSE)

The trends in institutional investment of endowment funds for the year ending June 30, 1984, are analyzed, including average returns, extremes, total endowment values, and the distribution of investments. The data are from an annual national comparative performance survey. (MSE)

Programs allowing parents to prepay tuition at selected colleges and universities are gaining popularity among institutions but are found to be potentially damaging to the institutions' finances and reputations and to relationships among institutions. (MSE)

A variety of alternatives to traditional means of financing a college education are being developed by states and institutions in response to rising tuitions. The ideas, including novel payment and loan plans and tuition futures, are often controversial because of the risks they entail. (MSE)

Although college finance officers are worried about the consequences of a drop in the value of their endowments because of Wall Street fluctuations, most have expressed concern about the effects on the general economy. If the nation has sluggish economic growth, the financial impact on higher education could be severe. (MLW)