"Unveiling the True Cost of College: Government's Role in Price Confusion"
Despite the soaring "sticker" prices of college tuition, a new report reveals that few students actually pay the full advertised cost, as colleges provide financial aid to income-eligible students and merit aid to more affluent families. On average, private nonprofit colleges cut tuition by more than half for first-time undergraduates, making the sticker prices an unreliable indicator of what families will actually pay. The report emphasizes the need for a better system of setting and communicating college prices to help students make informed decisions about educational investments.