Student costs in most institutions are not determined by any simple economic model or desire to charge as much as possible; they are the product of a variety of state policy decisions. State governments should become more forceful in controlling future increases, especially for noninstructional services. (MSE)

Tuition prepayment is not a panacea for rising college costs. States are treating symptoms and not causes through such programs. Rather than adopting prepayment plans wholesale, state governments need to determine whether the risk to the state and institutions is justifiable by thoroughly analyzing the program's viability. (MSE)

Author concludes that financial aid to students is fundamentally more sound than general institutional support. (Editor)

Financing higher education is a four-way collaboration between the government, state and federal; the students and their families; the private sector; and the higher education institutions. Placing the entire burden of higher education on one of these parties is unreasonable. (MLW)

Student loan debt levels are discussed in relation to borrowing patterns, educational opportunity, and cost-effectiveness of a college education; and common concerns about debt level are examined. It is concluded that while student indebtedness is high, these concerns are out of proportion to reality and reflect inappropriate assumptions about…

Because college costs will continue to increase dramatically, educational loan programs will become more important in the financial package. An efficient, national student loan program that will guarantee access, choice, and fairness is what is needed. (MLW)

Colleges and universities have special budgetary needs and problems and while their business support systems can benefit from many cost-saving measures, their core operations--teaching and research--cannot. Colleges are labor-intensive, must stay abreast of knowledge, must adjust to inflation and have been increasing student aid. (MLW)

Participants in the tuition-setting process lean toward "aggressive" pricing strategies because they want to maintain or improve quality, assure continued vitality, and keep the campus in good repair. Recent trends in tuition pricing are reviewed and some elements of budgetary strategies predicted on tuition increases above inflation are examined.…

While the price of a college education is rising, the vast majority of families with children in college do not face an appreciably higher burden relative to income than they did 5 years ago. The cost of college is compared with the income of families who have college age children. (MLW)

Projections of student expenses are indexed for comparison with the Consumer Price Index. Forecasts include: no slower rate of increase of average expenses; by 1984-85, total student expenses at private institutions will double public institutions'; tuition is now the dominant cost; and two-year institutions are not much less expensive than…

Because of the excess supply of student spaces relative to the number of students able or willing to pay posted tuition prices at private colleges, many schools have been using financial aid to compete for students. However, schools like Muskingum College (Ohio) are now reaching the limit of this strategy and are implementing major…

Since the financing of college costs is the single most important issue for U.S. families, public colleges and universities need to implement such changes as Michigan State University's "tuition guarantee" policy (which ensures tuition increases will not exceed inflation during a student's four-year college career) and to make tough…

The recent trends in college costs could have a number of far-reaching public policy implications. A growing inability to pay for costs could lead more students to make their educational choice on the basis of price, shifting from the private to the public sector. (MLW)

Capital finance, once limited to financing physical plant, today includes all assets and aspects of institutional life. It now encompasses a wide range of approaches and techniques including pooled debt, capital leases, futures contracts, equity investments, and research partnerships. (MLW)

A diploma mill is described as a person or an organization selling or awarding degrees without an appropriate academic base and without requiring a sufficient degree of postsecondary-level academic achievement. The indirect victim of diploma mill activity may be nontraditional education. (MLW)