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The article discusses the rising cost of higher education in the U.S. It describes the continuous increase in college tuition fees, the cuts in federal budgets allotted for higher education, and the tendency of students to incur bigger college debts. It also explores topics including the declining ability of students to pay for college expenses, the impact of high costs on educational institutions, and the need for more college scholarships and low-interest loan packages for students.

The article examines the success of public flagship institutions in helping minority students achieve academic success citing a study conducted by Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP). Topics include comments from Mamie Volght, vice president of policy research at IHEP, regarding affordability of flagships to low income students, and the importance of need-based financial aid.

The article offers information on the rise in tuition costs and how educational institutions are dealing with this issue to boost enrollment. The article mentions the average tuition cost of colleges that makes higher education less accessible in present times. Also mentioned is the option of tuition reset undertaken by some institutions that cuts tuition price thereby making the system more transparent.

The article looks at the report "A Promise Fulfilled: A Framework for Equitable Free College Programs" from the organization The Education Trust. Topics include the need to cover college costs for low-income students, the benefits that middle-income and rich students receive from free-college programs in several U.S. states, and aid to low-income community college students.

The article reports that Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) has analyzed Tennessee's Promise program and New York's Excelsior Scholarship cover tuition for students. It mentions IHEP found that programs fail to cover non-tuition related expenses, which can serve as a pressing financial barrier for low-income students compared to higher-income peers. It also mentions proposals to support state need-based grant programs and fund non-tuition expenses.

The article discusses North Carolina Agricultural and Technical (A&T) State University's role as a model for giving U.S. students clear information regarding college tuition, financial aid, and loans. The U.S. government chose nine other schools as models. After meeting with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Vice President Joe Biden, schools promised to tell students the total costs of a year of college, information on grant and scholarships, and estimated loan payments.

The article explains the Financial Aid Comparison Shopper, an online tool created by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which is part of the U.S. federal government. The Shopper allows students entering college and their parents to find information on tuition and other costs of different schools. The Shopper allows students to calculate their debt and estimate their average starting salary upon graduation and also offers statistics on college retention and loan default rates.

The article offers a look at a student loan repayment plan proposed by U.S. President Barack Obama in 2011. According to the article, the plan is being praised by education advocates such as Pauline Abernathy, vice president of The Institute for College Access and Success (TICAS), but criticized by others, including political conservatives and education analyst Neal McCluskey, who argues that the plan will encourage colleges to increase tuition further.