(NewsUSA) - For college-bound students and their families, the arrival of a school's financial aid award package means it's time to pull out the calculator and start budgeting.

(NUI) - According to a survey conducted by the New York-based College Board, college tuition costs are rising faster than the pace of inflation. Between 1993 and 2003, for example, the average cost of tuition and fees for four years rose 47 percent at public colleges and 42 percent at private institutions.