In several high-profile speeches this year, President Barack Obama has set an ambitious educational goal: By 2020, the United States will have the highest proportion of adults with a college degree in the world. The emphasis on education in both his proposed budget for fiscal 2010 and in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009…

Examines the recent decision by Williams College (Massachusetts) to freeze tuition. Notes effect of the booming economy on the value of institutional endowments. Suggests that the school's exercise of price leadership is unlikely to foster the needed discussion of college pricing, but rather will be seen by peer institutions as a brief misbegotten…

This article proposes that governing boards must carefully consider the implications of the admission and financial aid policy of awarding merit scholarships, without regard for student financial need. Such tuition discounting is seen as particularly problematic for private colleges, misleading to students, and potentially disastrous for…

A July 1996 public opinion poll shows that Americans, particularly those likely to have children reaching college age, sharply overestimate the cost of a college education. As a result, some may not explore financing possibilities further. College officials must be more direct with the public about the economic realities of higher education. (MSE)