"Students looking for college scholarships are going to have a harder time this year as providers, hammered by falling investment returns and declining philanthropic support, cut back," New York Times reports. "The recession has led foundations, corporations, state governments and colleges themselves to reduce their support of providers of scholarships, and in recent months programs have been reduced or canceled outright. The cuts come as economic conditions make it harder for families to pay for college and as more unemployed people look for financing for retraining. The result will probably be a greater role for federal aid programs in supporting students, instead of private scholarship providers and state governments, said Terry W. Hartle, senior vice president for government and public affairs at the American Council on Education, whose members are colleges and universities."