HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE: Private Colleges Dole Out Scholarships to Boost Enrollment, but It Isn’t Working: Tuition discount rates have risen to a record 49.9% for freshmen. “Private colleges have been aggressively discounting tuition in an effort to boost enrollment, a risky strategy that now may be backfiring as students aren’t signing up in droves, even at sale prices.”

Plus: “There is a chance that discounting tuition in order to serve the needs of financially challenged students may actually harm them, because discounted high-sticker prices may dissuade students from applying to certain schools without examining full aid packages.”