College is Affordable Paying for college expenses is a shared responsibility.
In fact, no one pays the full cost of higher education in America, since state and colleges' own investment resources greatly reduce the price that colleges actually charge their students. However, the family is also responsible for the portion of college costs that it can reasonably afford, using standard financial aid formulas. No assumptions are made about how a family will meet its financial responsibility. In fact, families have choices about how to do that. To finance major purchases such as houses, cars, and higher education, most people spread the costs out over time.