At just over half the nation's four-year public colleges, fees rose faster than tuition in the 2005-6 school year and the previous year, according to the College Board, which tracks trends in college costs. Over all, in 2005-6 - the most current year for which there is available data - fees rose by an average of 8 percent to 11 percent at public four-year institutions, well above the rate of inflation."
**********************************************************************************If fees can rise arbitrarily faster than tuition, that may nullify the "hedging" benefit of pre-paid college tuition plans and make 529 plans more attractive by comparison.
In general I think higher education is a ripe target for cost cutting, because it has been insulated from marketplace pressures and subsidized by the government for too long.
Richard Vedder has a good blog on college affordability at