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The article discusses the economic conditions of Atlanta, Georgia and examines how the economic recession is having an impact on area colleges including Georgia Perimeter College, Georgia State University, and Agnes Scott College. Particular focus is paid to the decrease in funding for Georgia's HOPE scholarship program for state colleges and various instances where students have taken jobs or dropped out due to problems associated with college costs. Comments from individuals are presented including Georgia Perimeter student Ariel Stitt on her use of public transportation, Georgia State provost Timothy M. Renick on increasing enrollment at the school, and Agnes Scott president Elizabeth Kiss on a decision to lay off staff members and offer early retirement to faculty.

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.

The article presents a profile of the financial aid office at Occidental College and examines ways in which the financial aid appeals committee processes requests for more institutional aid for enrolled students. It describes the procedure the committee, which includes admissions and financial aid officers Maureen McRae, Sally Stone Richmond, and Brett Schraeder, uses to evaluate individual appeals and overviews how the aid program at Occidental differs from that offered by U.S. federal student aid programs. It highlights ways in which tax return information, family income, and outstanding debts are incorporated in the committee's evaluation process and explores how merit aid, or scholarships, can also influence the decisions of the committee.

The article discusses a requirement proposed by the U.S. federal government that universities and colleges create net-price calculators for their websites that will allow prospective students and their families to calculate the actual cost of a college degree. The process of creating such calculators and precisely what information they should give are considered. The U.S. government's definition for net-price is included as is a description of how difficult it would be to create a calculator that can figure out the expected family contribution of families. The financial aid system in use at the University of Pennsylvania is described. Other topics include how popular the calculators will be with families of college-bound students and the calculator used by the University of Texas System.

The article discusses an effort by the California State University system to identify what it calls super seniors, those who have enough credits to graduate but stay in college amassing more credits, and to encourage them to graduate using the advising system. The effort comes in the face of budget problems which bring pressure on enrollment. Charles B. Reed, the university's chancellor, also notes that pushing super seniors to graduate increases the graduation rate, an important statistic for schools. Reasons that students stay in college are examined. A chart showing how various states handle the issue is presented, including reductions in student aid and surcharges on tuition.

The article discusses price increases in private colleges, noting that 58 colleges reached a yearly price of $50,000 or more for tuition, fees, room and board. It notes that many colleges offer generous aid packages to a large percentage of students. Private colleges have worked hard to keep increases low and to keep the average loan total with which students graduate constant. Controversy exists about whether the total price for private colleges is headed towards an unsustainable figure. Some experts see that middle class families will be unable to afford the prices and will look to other options. Others see no drop in applications and no trouble filling classes, implying that families see value in a private college education.

The article explores the issue of rising tuition costs in colleges and universities in the United States. Questions are raised regarding the source of the inflation, citing several complex factors including the management of operating expenses of the school and the level of cost-burden put onto the student rather than on subsidies and grants. Additional discussion is given concerning colleges' broader financial management philosophies on their productivity and efficiency, the possible impact of the credit markets, and potential for government intervention.

The article discusses student loans, noting that sorting out financial aid options is a complicated process and that not all lenders have the applicant's best interests at heart. Those seeking student loans are advised to exhaust all government options before turning to private lenders, and to consider what their expected salaries will be in comparison to their student loan payments. INSET: At Debt's Door.

Several elite institutions have managed to keep costs for students from the poorest families at less than a 10th of what students from wealthier families pay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even with financial aid from the college and the government, parents of all income levels rely on Parent PLUS Loans to close the gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that many parents in the U.S. as of July 2018 are borrowing more to finance the education of their children due to rising tuition and the students already borrowed much from the federal loan program. Also cited are the average debt load of students pursuing bachelor's degrees at graduation, the average debt load of parents under the PLUS federal parental loans, and the comment of SavingForCollege.com's Mark Kantrowitz on the developments.

The author reflects on the availability of college discounts available to students in the U.S. He cites how the shadow financial aid system known as merit aid works, however, several parents and students did not know about such discounts since schools may not explain the qualifications or hide the formula inside complex calculators. The author also explains how such system works in four universities in Massachusetts and depends on the finances of the parents.

The article reports on the aspects of utilizing home equity loan to help for college among American families. Topics discussed include the concerns regarding the impact of the proposed tax bill which cut the deductions of interest for home equity loans, the approaches of colleges in assessing the family's ability to pay which include the inclusion of home equity information in federal student aid application, and the advantages and disadvantages of including home equity as lines of credit.

The article reports on colleges' criticism of financial consultants who are recommending schemes that help families win student aid unfairly in the United States. Such schemes have become more prevalent due to the scarcity of student-aid dollars, coupled with the increasing costs of attending college, which caused alarm among parents. Most of the schemes can be traced to consultants who promise to get parents the largest possible aid packages.

The article presents a speech by William Bennett, the U.S. Secretary of Education, on federal student aid policies and rising college costs. He discusses the rise in college costs, which would make college education out of reach of the average American. He talks about the financial conditions of universities and colleges. According to Bennett, it's a matter of great concern to get student financial aid.

The article focuses on the series of measures announced by New York University to make it easier to graduate under four years. Topics covered include the estimated percentage of students who graduated ahead of schedule, the increasing momentum to formalize the process amid the outrage over college costs and student debt and the benefits of the university's acceleration program such as allowing students to transfer in up to eight credits from other schools.

Candidates are staking out their positions, and new plans are emerging. But the proposals vary widely, creating confusion about whom they really help. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The education secretary blamed the government's shift to direct loans and cited with approval the "Bennett hypothesis," in which federal aid purportedly leads colleges to raise their prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large increases in out-of-state tuition and fees over the past decade did not seem to have a negative impact on the enrollment of nonstate residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the benefits of parents saving as much money for their children's college expenses as early as possible. Topics include the impact of parents' savings and income on the financial aid eligibility of college students, the federal government's use of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine a student's Expected Family Contribution, and merit aid awarded by colleges to students who raise the profile of the entering class.

Two new reports ignore the many ways that state plans make a college education more affordable -- and more realistic -- for financially needy families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All along they wanted the same thing: to leave home, decorate a dorm-room wall, and shape a new life. Find out how two Texas students weathered an uncertain summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the issue of college affordability in the United States as of 2015. Topics addressed include introductory comments noting the growing universal acknowledgement of the problem of rising college costs but also the different implications of proposed solutions depending on one's socioeconomic background, examples of how different potential students evaluate costs, and efforts by different organizations to promote better decision-making benchmarks for applicants.