Attempts at austerity and deleveraging in Europe have converted an economic problem into a political dilemma, with leftist governments rising against Germany's austerity-laced rescue packages. Germany now faces a tough economic decision that will involve choosing between a breakup of the current euro system and a movement toward a common fiscal policy in Europe.

An AEI survey found that when asked to think of the cost for a low-income student, a majority of parents do recognize a distinction between sticker price and “net price after aid.” Yet, low-income parents often tend to overestimate the net price of college attendance.

President Obama’s latest ploy is a student lending policy that teaches a new generation of college-goers that government is there to provide free stuff.

The federal government can and should play a limited but important role in helping the nation address the challenge of  improving the productivity of education spending.

For decades, investors have spent countless hours speculating about the Federal Reserve's agenda on interest rates. Market watchers study every adjective in often-cryptic Fed statements for clues about the outlook for monetary policy.

Before World War II, academically excellent students from families unable to afford college for them could apply for scholarships available to outstanding students, but scholarships were scarce. The federal government itself did not then make direct grants to individual high school students to enable them to attend college, as it does now.

Prospective college students lack basic information about college costs and quality--and how they vary across institutions--on which to base their investment decisions. This lack of information handicaps the ability of students to be the savvy consumers that a well-functioning market requires, freeing poor-performing institutions to operate at will.

Not all colleges are created equal when it comes to getting their students over the finish line. One step toward a better outcome is improving the information available about quality and costs.