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The article presents a discussion of several issues faced by universities in the Pacific West region of the U.S., focusing on ways in which decreased federal funding will impact their budgets and strategic plans. Efforts by colleges in the region to increase revenue by raising tuition are highlighted along with alterations to the student financial aid models used at the region's state-funded schools. Several statistics are provided regarding college student demographics, college costs at public and private universities, and the salaries of college teachers in states including Alaska, Oregon, and California.

In this article the author examines differing views on reasons college tuition increases in the U.S. He explains that rising tuition may result from increased student demand as well as decreased federal aid to public colleges and queries the impact federal student aid subsidies, grants, and federal loans have on decisions by universities to increase tuition.