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This report contains a conceptual framework for analyzing costs and prices by evaluating the higher education production function and the determinants of both prices and costs. The framework can be used to strengthen understanding of costs and prices within individual institutions and to inform macro level investments at state and national levels. Despite the breadth of choices in higher education, average costs differ in somewhat predictable ways, by level of instruction, discipline or field, and institutional type and control. Any analysis of price structures must incorporate subsidies and strategies for differential pricing. There are differentials in sticker prices based on residency status, level of instruction, and institutional type and control. Price-to-cost ratios developed in this report point to broad trends across institutions. In spite of differences in missions and resources across institutions, categories of institutions exhibit somewhat consistent pricing and cost patterns. The analyses in this report suggest that greater use of available data will enhance understanding of cost and price structures within higher education to help institutions ensure that their financing decisions are compatible with institutional goals. (Contains 17 figures, 58 endnotes, and 51 references.) (SLD)

This report presents a comprehensive overview of the parental role in higher education. It is on various data sources, including a nationally representative survey of 750 parents of current college students. The report addresses issues ranging from selecting an institution, to paying tuition, to patterns of saving and borrowing, to the demographic characteristics of both parents and students. Major findings include the following: (1) although parental financial assistance appears to be increasing modestly, the dollar amounts are covering a smaller proportion of the average price of attendance; (2) most parents are not going into debt to provide financial assistance to their children, but those who do borrow are borrowing larger amounts; (3) parents may not be realistic about what they should expect to pay for college; and (4) the most important factors influencing how much parents pay to assist their children appear to be income and the total price of attendance. Following an executive summary and an introduction, report sections address the following topics: changing roles, previous research, characteristics affecting parental roles, examination of data from the National Center on Educational Statistics, the study's parent survey, and conclusions from the survey's findings. Seventeen tables detail study findings. Appended are additional methodological and statistical information. (Contains 35 references.) (DB)