This issue of "Policy Insights" reviews the results of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education's (WICHE) annual survey of tuition and fees at public colleges and universities in the WICHE region and discusses related policy implications. Overall, tuition and fees in the WICHE region increased relatively little in 2015-16 (and even decreased in Oregon and Washington), slightly less than the national average rate of change. And state appropriations to higher education in the West have generally stabilized in the past several years. But in this climate of overall positive news about higher education financing, families and students continue to struggle with the high costs of a college education. "Free college" initiatives have gotten a lot of attention as a possible solution to college affordability, student borrowing continues to be an important part of the affordability discussion, and affordability has the potential to affect states' attainment of higher education and workforce goals.