As Tuition Climbs, More States Ponder College-Aid Plans

By Kerry A. White

With concerns over the cost of college rising as fast as tuition itself, state leaders from Maine to Montana are making plans for a tidal wave of new college-aid programs. But some experts wonder whether the financial help will reach the neediest students.

Tuition-assistance programs are being announced at a time when access to college is a worry not only for needy families, but also for the comfortable middle class, according to Amy Cook, a policy analyst at the Education Commission of the States in Denver.

"College costs are a major public concern," she said in a recent interview. "An explosion of student debt coupled with rising tuition have parents and students wringing their hands. These programs are a way lawmakers can...