Mariana Jalnekrian, an 18-year-old Armenian-American, set aside a book she was reading to take a quick glance around campus. From her table outside the Matador Bookstore Complex, Jalnekrian, a first-year...

My younger brother just received his acceptance letter from the University of Southern California (USC), his number one choice and the only private university out of the five schools he applied to. Hearing back from colleges was once an exciting time of year for high school seniors, but now the thrill of getting into their dream school is being overshadowed by the hefty price tag that accompanies the next four years of education.