The United States is losing high-paying jobs to countries that produce a more reliable supply of college graduates in math and science. Texas faces its own economic slowdown if it is unable to graduate more students with bachelor's degrees. The state has been addressing many of the obstacles students face in earning a four-year degree. Outreach efforts and public relations campaigns have encouraged students to consider going to college, while changes in curriculum have produced a much larger pool of college-ready high school graduates. TEXAS Grants have made college more affordable, but due to projected funding shortfalls, the program's reach is limited and net prices remain high, undermining many of these well-intentioned college promotion efforts. This paper looks at the barriers preventing college-qualified Texas students from completing college and the extent to which this failure is due to financial barriers. As college affordability has two components--the cost of education and the financial resources available to pay the bills--this paper provides an overview of both components. The paper may also serve as an introduction to the federal and state financial aid programs that serve students. The paper concludes with an attempt to identify characteristics of policies that might prove successful in putting a higher education degree within the grasp of all qualified Texans. An appendix presents an overview of federal and Texas financial aid programs. A bibliography is also included. (Contains 7 figures, 14 tables, and 130 endnotes.)