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 state and federal trend toward encouraging parents to save for college education is praised for putting responsibility back on parents, but there is concern about the effectiveness of national or state programs to stimulate savings and about neglect of the poor in the rush to help middle-income families. (MSE)

With tuition rising and anxiety mounting over students too deeply in debt, an effort to change the psychology of paying for college is gaining steam. The Reagan Administration is expected to propose a new savings bond whose interest would be tax free if the bond is cashed in for college. (MLW)

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)

While the United States and European nations share similar goals for higher education, a recent study of student financial assistance shows they have chosen strikingly different ways to pay student college expenses. Cost arrangements are found to reflect the country's cultural roots and educational and economic objectives. (MSE)