"Tuition and required fees at American universities increased at a measured rate over the past two years," The Chronicle of Higher Education reports. "But given the recent downturn of the nation’s economy, that trend is unlikely to continue, say officials at the American Council on Education. Stable state budgets, healthy endowment returns, and a rise in private donations helped keep tuition and fee increases within a few percentage points of the consumer price index, said Tim McDonough, assistant vice president for public affairs at the American Council on Education. However, the nation’s economic downturn over the last six months, he said, will soon change all that. Mr. McDonough expects pressure to raise tuition will increase as sources of revenue begin to dry up."