教育类文章精选：THE TUITION TAMERS

7 THE TUITION TAMERS

　　After years of sharp increases, some colleges are trying to ease the burden on middle-class families

　　THESE HAVE BEEN THE ,BEST OF TIMES for many of the nation’s top universities-and the worst of times for middle income families struggling to afford them. Thanks to a robust stock market, school endowments have ballooned. Yet few institutions have held down steep increases in tuition. But that may be changing.

　　Williams College, a prestigious liberal arts school in Massachusetts, announced last month that for the first time in 46 years, its tuition would remain steady at $31,520. Last week students at Princeton University learned that their annual $31,599 tuition, room and board will rise just 3.3%-the smallest hike in 30 years.

　　These shows of restraint may signal a turnaround from the whopping tuition increases of recent years, as some schools

　　Williams held its tuition flat by paying more of its bills with the investment profits on its $1.1 billion endowment and with contributions from alumni. But college officials who oppose using endowments to freeze tuition say the students most vulnerable to hikes are not affected by them. "If we were to keep tuition constant, would it change the situation here for students in need?" asks Princeton president Harold Shapiro. "No, because their tuition is fully covered."