"Public trust in higher education has been declining for years. Recent polling data indicated it could be improving, but colleges and universities still have a long way to go in regaining the kind of public support they need now, perhaps more than ever," Inside Higher Ed reports. 

..."In this flash survey, less popular options include stronger connections between coursework and students’ interests/career goals, institutional transparency initiatives around college costs, more accountability for educational quality, and better student support services. But that doesn’t mean students don’t also want these things: Pillar said that concerns about affordability and career readiness are 'often amplified by the frustration of navigating unclear or counterproductive processes just to earn that degree.'

Melanie Storey, president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators—which leads the national College Cost Transparency Initiative—said that institutions can help not just by being more up front but also more 'predictable' about costs and aid from year to year, especially amid greater economic uncertainty, changes to federal financial aid and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s impacts on higher ed. Such measures include four-year pricing for four-year institutions and other tuition guarantees.

'Lack of stability and predictability is really unsettling for students and families, and I think they convert that into an affordability problem,' which then translates to a value problem, Storey said.

She added, 'Trust is that when I invest this, it’s going to pay off. And we have introduced a lot of uncertainty—not just colleges and universities, but states and the federal government and all of the actors around making college affordable.'"

NASFAA's "Notable Headlines" section highlights media coverage of financial aid to help members stay up to date with the latest news. Articles included under the notable headlines section are not written by NASFAA, but rather by external sources. Inclusion in Today's News does not imply endorsement of the material or guarantee the accuracy of information presented.

Publication Date: 8/18/2025