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Access & Affordability

One of the greatest challenges for students going to college is paying for it. Our news, opinion, and advice articles on access and affordability examine:

  • Who is able to attend college?
  • What are institutions doing to expand college access and affordability?
  • How will the federal government resolve issues with federal aid forms, known as FAFSA?
  • How can colleges better serve students?
The U.S. Department of Education headquarters building on January 29, 2025, in Washington, DC.
Financial Aid
Colleges and States Want Federal Money for Work-Force Training. But the Path Won’t Be Easy.
The Education Department on Friday finalized proposed regulations for a policy that will allow low-income students to use Pell Grants for nondegree programs.
The U.S. Department of Education headquarters in Washington, D.C., photographed on March 14, 2025.
The Trump Agenda
Nearly One-Fourth of Colleges Will Come With a Warning When Students Apply for Financial Aid
The Education Department says it will start flagging institutions where graduates on average don’t earn as much as high-school graduates. Most are for-profit technical and cosmetology schools.
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'A complicated relationship'
One of Higher Ed’s Emerging Growth Areas Is One It Struggles to Serve
Rural regions are expected to see increases in high-school seniors. But the sector has had trouble reaching them.
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Enrollment Trends
Are 4-Year College Costs Scaring Students Off? Maybe Not, a New Study Finds
Since the end of the Great Recession, a strong job market has driven many more people to enter the work force rather than attend community college.
The US Department of Education in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, March 20, 2025.
'A Huge Opportunity'
How a New Law Could Change the Way Low-Income Students Access College
Thousands enrolled in short-term, job-focused programs will soon be able to use federal grants to pay tuition. Advocates say it could be “a game changer,” but challenges remain.
The U.S. Department of Education building in Washington, D.C., is seen on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. Michael Theis, The Chroniclew
Affordability
Graduate Programs Will Soon Feel the Brunt of Loan Caps as Changes to Federal Aid Advance
If fewer students can afford to enroll, higher-ed advocates say, colleges may struggle to sustain many of their master’s and professional degrees.
University of Austin President Carlos Carvalho talks with Bari Weiss, a founding trustee of the institution.
Access & Affordability
The ‘Anti-Harvard’ Startup University Says It Will Never Charge Tuition or Take Government Money
The institution hopes the move will create an alumni base both successful and grateful enough to give back.
Collage of frames of Colorado Mesa University's "Featherstone University" promotion.
Controversial Campaign
‘Featherstone University’ Isn’t Real. But Its Message About Higher Ed Packs a Punch.
A regional public institution’s new marketing campaign, featuring a caricature of academic elitism, has drawn praise and pushback.
Photo-based illustration of a college campus building atop a compass.
Survey Says ...
Americans’ Faith in Higher Ed Has Declined Even Further
A survey paints a somber portrait of public opinion on the price of college and campus free speech — but the news isn’t all bad.
An outstretched hand holding a tiny mortarboard cap and tassel
Access & Affordability
Private Colleges Are Pitching Free Tuition for Middle-Class Students. Will It Make a Difference?
The student-debt crisis and rising college costs are some factors driving the trend among elite universities, but policy experts warn it isn’t a catch-all.