At Prince George's Community College (PGCC) in Largo, Maryland, a number of environmental and revenue changes in the 1980's resulted in complex political issues for the college. Changes in the county's black population (from 14% in 1970 to 51% in 1990) meant that the faculty's composition no longer reflected the diversity of the student population. Tuition fees at PGCC from 1985 to 1992 continued to surpass the state average, reaching 12% higher than the next most expensive Maryland state two-year college in 1992. Questions from legislators and the county concerning minority hiring policies and the high tuition fees abounded. In 1991, a state law was passed requiring PGCC, and only PGCC, to provide a detailed costs analysis report annually to the General Assembly. In January 1991, PGCC's office of institutional research initiated a study of comparative county aid to community colleges in Maryland. The study revealed that between fiscal years (FY's) 1987-90, Prince George's County failed to provide the state mandated 28% of PGCC's annual revenues, providing less aid per student than its four peer counties in the study. Between FY's 1986-90, Prince George's County allocated 1.2% or less of its budget to PGCC, representing half of that provided by peer counties to their community colleges. In 1991, results of the study were presented to the County Executive and published in the college's Master Plan (1992). As a result of the study, the charge of high tuition was diffused, and a planned cut in the county's contribution was averted. A series of suggestions for achieving similar successes through the use of institutional research and data tables from the county aid study are included. (PAA)