Notes in the Margins: Free cells, free speech and college towns

Free Cell Phones for College Students One university is providing smartphones to its incoming freshman class. (U.S. News & World Report)

Free Speech Codes on Campus: Political correctness run amok? Indiana University Southeast is the latest college to see its speech code come under fire from a group that advocates freedom of speech on campuses. One stipulation in the code requires that students may only "express opinions" within a free speech zone. (Fox News)

White House Releases Model Financial Aid Award Letter "Shopping Sheet" It will enable families to compare college costs and financial aid offers side by side, helping them make more informed decisions concerning the tradeoffs between college affordability and college quality, fit and other criteria for choosing a college. (fastweb.com)

Less Than Zero: The True Cost of College I've been a college-tuition-paying parent and a tuition-charging college president. As a parent, I gasped at the bills. As a president, I wondered how I could possibly make ends meet. I've seen it from both sides now, and so let me provide you with a New Jersey response to the complaint that college costs too much. (The Huffington Post)

Tough Times for Colleges—and College Towns The finances of many of the nation's institutions of higher education are starting to wobble. If they continue to deteriorate, the fallout won't be confined to college campuses. (The Wall Street Journal via NAICU)

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