Using data from a 1994 national survey of student charges (tuition and fees) at state colleges and universities, this document looks at increases, their impacts, paying for college, and the benefits of college education. In a question and answer format the opening section provides information on recent college cost figures for 4-year institutions, the meaning of increases in tuition and fees, forces driving up college costs, whether college is still a good choice for recent high school graduates, whether families can afford college, how students pay for college, the growth of student debt, the role of financial aid, who benefits from going to college, the effect of budget pressures, and the future outlook for college costs. Tables present data on selected student charges, tuition and fees for resident undergraduates by state, and tuition and fees for resident undergraduates at institutions that are members of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges (NASULGC). The figures illustrate trends in change in average tuition, changes in current-fund revenues, median annual income by education and gender, student financial aid, participation rates, and campus changes due to budget pressures. An appendix contains tables showing undergraduate student charges at selected NASULGC institutions for 1995-96. (JB)