The current high rate of tuition inflation and the low rate of savings by parents for future college costs is fueling interest in tuition prepurchase plans that guarantee the price of college years in advance. Middle class interest, educational risks, investments vs. tuition, and tax issue are discussed. (MLW)

The recent history of trends affecting the affordability of college are summarized. A better balance needs to be established between loan and grant support for students. The Stafford Student Loan Program (formerly the Guaranteed Student Loan Program) and the Reishauer HELP program are discussed. (MLW)

While the primary issue in the future of college student financial aid, pertaining especially to the role of the College Scholarship Service, is fairness in awarding aid in the context of extreme college aid competition, other issues include college quality and choice, who should pay for education, parental responsibility, educational…

Borrowing has become the indispensable means for financing higher education, primarily through the Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL) program. The entire structure of expectations that sustains higher education has been transformed by debt, and incentives for borrowers and lenders have created student debt expansion. (MLW)

College costs, methods of payment, and how the pressure to make money may be shaping enrollment patterns are reviewed by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. There is some evidence that students who take sizable loans may major in such fields as business, engineering, and allied health, which offer higher salaries. (MLW)