While many issues in higher education are only discussed among members of the education community, the sharp rise in costs is no longer a topic solely for academia. Parents and politicians alike are fuming over the apparently unstoppable climb of the cost of a college education. It seems every day a new magazine article or newspaper story bemoans the trend, attempts to explain it, or proposes a solution. Indeed, everyone seems to agree that something needs to be done to quell the rising cost of higher education--the question is "how." APPA chose to focus its entire 2013 Thought Leaders symposium on this very question. True to its position as a leader in the higher education facilities community, APPA considered the challenge from a facilities point of view, but also expanded its perspective to encompass the entire higher education system. Of course, there is no miraculous solution to the higher education cost problem. However, participants in the symposium proposed a mix of strategies that could be adapted to individual campuses and combined to make real strides. It will take innovative thinking and determination to challenge conventional thinking and educate consumers, yet with strong leadership and foresight, discerning institutions will be able to reinvent themselves for a future in which costs are no longer the leading story about higher education. This yearly Thought Leaders report summarizes the discussions at the symposium as well as provides additional context about major trends. The purpose of the report is both to inform and to prompt discussion.