Tuition-Discount Rate Hits Record High, Nacubo Survey Finds.

The article discusses results of a survey which shows that private colleges spent more on grant aid in 2008 than they ever have before, and that their tuition-discount rate, the difference between what students pay and the stated tuition, rose in 2008 after years of stability. Factors cited include the effects of the recession on families' ability to pay, pressure to maintain enrollment, and recruitment competition. Costs of the aid include salary and hiring freezes and staff reductions .