Discusses the business of higher education where, shielded by laws, traditions, and folkways, college costs have risen without regard to productivity. Looks at how some are offering tuition at bargain rates to attract students. (JOW)

The market for undergraduate education has many similarities to an arms race. A school's position, relative to other schools, determines its success in attracting students and student quality. Its position, in turn, is largely determined by the size of its student subsidies, the difference between its educational spending, and the net tuition it…

The negative side of academic scholarships, often considered a form of healthy collegiate recruiting, is that they are usually in the form of discounts in student costs, affecting cost in most areas of college expenditure, including faculty salaries, and causing institutions to have operating deficits. (MSE)

This article is adapted from a memorandum prepared by the head of an independent school for the education and compensation committees of the school's board of trustees. Presented in question-and-answer format, it reflects primarily a faculty point of view. (Author/SJL)

For all of the attention rising college costs continue to receive, it is striking how poorly informed many decision makers are when it comes to setting tuition and fees. And it's equally astounding that so many institutions are learning the consequences of pricing decisions undertaken solely by trial and error when a wrong judgment can affect…

Examines a number of trends in higher education that threaten to undermine the status, role, and even existence of liberal arts colleges. Looks at competitive marketing, merit-based student financial aid, private support for state schools, and the heavy influence of price on student choice. Keeping these factors in mind can allow universities to…

Public v private competition for students and ways that institutions and policymakers should deal with it are discussed. Private institutions vulnerable to competition from the public sector, how private institutions can survive, the tuition gap, and planning policies of public higher education are described. (MLW)

The potential value of marketing principles to help solve educational problems in higher education is addressed. Four variables that are within the decision power of those in higher education and those in the commercial world are the product, distribution, promotion, and price. The marketing concept demands that policies be built on a base of…

The usefulness of marketing functions as they relate to higher education enrollment and financial problems is addressed, and proven marketing principles that have been violated by higher education decision-makers are considered. It is suggested that a college or university operation can be examined within the same context as any product…

Three policy statements on self-regulation initiatives for colleges and universities were developed by the American Council on Education with support, in some cases, from other organizations. Policy statement number one concerns policy guidelines for refund of student charges. The guidelines summarize elements of fair and equitable policy in…

This advisory report presents 18 recommendations for cost sharing, cooperation among institutions, and meeting future demands for higher education in Ontario. A framework for public policy is offered which stresses the themes of excellence, accessibility, and responsibility and urges differentiation in strengths among colleges and universities, a…

This book explores the causes of tuition inflation, using Cornell University (New York) as a prototypical institution. There are 9 sections with 20 chapters. Section 1, "Setting the Stage," includes (1) "Why Do Costs Keep Rising at Selective Private Colleges and Universities?" and (2) "Who Is In Charge of the…