A lawsuit that challenges the policy of Wheaton College, in Massachusetts, to charge its regular tuition to students studying abroad on less-costly independent programs is the latest sign of scrutiny into the finances of overseas education. Wheaton officials say the tuition policy is stated online and in program materials, maintaining that charging home-school tuition, while providing financial aid puts study-abroad opportunities in reach for many more students and is similar to those in place at many other institutions. Overseas-study costs also are often bound up in broader tuition debates, particularly at private institutions, where tuition and financial aid are closely linked. As foreign study expands in popularity and prestige, many observers say colleges need to do a better job of explaining their policies to students and their parents. The Forum on Education Abroad, a consortium of American and overseas colleges and independent providers, is expected to issue guidelines that emphasize such openness.