In this dissertation, I explore questions relating to estimating and framing college net pricing. In the first study, I measure variation in actual grant aid awards for students predicted by the federal template Net Price Calculator (NPC) to receive identical aid awards. Estimated aid derived from the federal template NPC accounts for 85 percent…

Higher education enrolment has long been known to rise and fall counter to the current economic situation. This counter-cyclical enrolment response represents an economic principle where a price-elastic consumer is more likely make a consumption choice when another valuable use of resources is not available. Higher unemployment has historically…

This report is first in a series of informational briefings developed as part of "The Guardians Initiative: Reclaiming the Public Trust," an effort to educate and engage trustees as advocates on key issues in higher education. While the tone of public criticism of higher education has sharpened, public understanding about the sector's…

This 2016 student affordability report looks at the following numerical data for higher education in the state of North Dakota: (1) Tuition, Mandatory Fees, Room & Board; (2) Total Estimated Student Cost; (3) Federal Funding Sources; (4) Net Price; (5) Loan Volume and Indebtedness; and (6) Percent of Students with Aid. In 2015-16, tuition and…

There's something about textbook prices that generates outrage in ways that other college expenses, such as housing and technology fees, don't. Maybe it's the shock felt by new students when faced with a $900 bill after getting their textbooks for free in K-12. Maybe it's the awful realization that $40,000 in tuition and board doesn't even cover…

As concern over rapidly rising college costs and tuition sticker prices have increased, a variety of research has been conducted to determine potential causes. Most of this research has focused on factors unique to higher education. In contrast, cost disease theory attempts to create a comparative context to explain cost increases in higher…

President Obama is right to draw attention to the soaring cost of a college education in America. However, his proposed solution will not only fail to fix the problem but is also likely to compound it by blunting the competition that is needed to shake up the world of higher education. President Obama proposes to slow tuition growth by…

Students in China are being shouldered with more financial responsibility for their higher education. This shift impacts individuals across the economic spectrum in different ways. This paper assesses recent trends in China's higher education tuition and fees, and the implications on educational equity. Results document substantial increases in…

In this paper we review recent increases in tuition at public institutions and estimate impacts on enrollment. We use data on all U.S. public 4-year colleges and universities from 1991 to 2006 and illustrate that tuition increased dramatically beginning in the early part of this decade. We examine impacts of such increases on total enrollment and…

The growth of private universities in Russia has made tuition costs an increasingly important factor in students' enrollments across institutions. So far, however, universities do not compete on price, but this strategy will need to change as the system matures and as economic and demographic changes occur. (Contains 1 note.) [This article was…

Fees at California's public colleges and universities have increased considerably with the current state budget crisis, but are still lower than fees at comparable institutions in other states. At California State University (CSU), fees for full-time undergraduate students are $4,893 for the 2009-10 school year. Fees at the University of…

The recent emergence of higher education into political and economic debate is reminiscent of the ongoing arguments about the appropriate provision of health care in the United States. Health care reform has been a political battle cry in the United States for years, and there are similar calls for reforms of higher education. These two industries…

This issue of "Policy Insights" reviews the results from Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education's (WICHE's) annual survey of tuition and fees at public colleges and universities in the region. The survey on which the report and this policy brief are based was administered to state higher education executive offices or system…

Inspired by a white paper produced by the Delta Project on Postsecondary Education Costs, Productivity, and Accountability, this study uses different measures of calculating the cost of a college degree at an upstate community college in New York. Departmental cost per credit hour, direct instructional costs, and full costs are all explained. A…

The primary purpose of government provided student financial aid is to increase college access by bringing the out-of-pocket price of attendance within reach of more students. The basic idea is quite straightforward. If a good or service costs $100 to buy and the government gives consumers a $50 subsidy, then consumers need only spend $50 of their…