Even as demand for college degrees are at a near all-time high, many states are curtailing their funding for their colleges and universities. New Hampshire slashed its funding for higher education by an astounding 41 percent, and another 13 states have hacked at least 10 percent of their funding. It just stands to reason universities try to make up that cost differential through tuition hikes, meaning that students are being asked to pay more. The real cost is even higher. Universities are funneling less cash, for instance, into their grants and scholarship programs, meaning cash-strapped students have fewer options. Many institutions are looking for more out-of-state students, too, as they typically pay more in tuition. Those out-of-state students naturally take slots that would normally be filled with more budget-conscious in-state students. “Students are being hit with a double whammy—higher cost and less help,” says Dennis Jones, president of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems. (Time)