A problem of fit: How the complexity of college pricing hurts students—and universities

A four-year college degree continues to be the best bet for an economically secure future for young people in the United States. However, for most families and prospective college students, understanding which colleges are accessible and affordable is a real struggle. Brookings Nonresident Fellow Phil Levine’s new book “A Problem of Fit: How the Complexity of College Pricing Hurts Students – and Universities,” tackles the economics of higher education and offers policy solutions to institutional barriers.

On Monday, May 9, the Center on Children and Families at Brookings hosted an event to discuss Levine’s new book. The author presented the book’s main findings, and then a panel of experts discussed the challenges and potential solutions to barriers in higher education. Panelists included Joy St. John, current dean of admission and financial aid at Wellesley College and soon to be director of admissions at Harvard University; Sandy Baum, nonresident senior fellow at the Urban Institute; and Lindsay Page, Annenberg associate professor of education policy at Brown University.

Viewers submitted questions by emailing events@brookings.edu or on Twitter using the hashtag #ProblemOfFit.