Colleges and universities work hard to try to accommodate students' financial situations. Many institutions provide as much financial support as they can (63 percent of all undergraduates enrolled in 2003-04 received financial aid, according to the NCES). And some professors have begun to help students who work long hours by providing more…

The relationship between the "need-blind" philosophy of college admission and institutional student financial aid policies is examined. The ethics of providing less-capable students with higher debt and workloads, and other policies that apply differential aid packaging for higher-risk students, are called into question. (MSE)

Summarizes the National Commission on the Cost of Higher Education's report, "Straight Talk About College Costs and Prices," concerning the rate of increase in tuition and costs, college affordability, financial aid trends, state support of public institutions, contributors to costs, faculty costs, and recommendations for institutional action.…

Financial assistance for individuals attending college has existed in this country almost as long as higher education itself. Institutions awarded many of the earliest scholarships based on students' academic merit, with consideration often given to financial need. This practice was carried into the twentieth century, largely by private elite…

The crisis of affordability in higher education is intensifying. Illustrations of its resonance abound: from the frequent news articles describing and amplifying the crisis and its sources to legislators' and candidates' proposed responses. Republicans' responses tend to be mainly punitive toward institutions; Democrats' proposals are more…