The political economy of college prepaid tuition plans

Rising tuition has led many states to offer college prepaid tuition plans. These plans are consistent with the trend in higher education policy toward meeting the needs of wealthier households. The paper argues that the public interest in these plans is hard to find; moreover, median voter theory suggests that prepaid tuition plans may have the unintended consequence of higher tuition inflation, thus making college less affordable for those least able to afford it.