Jon Marcus describes a system of higher education that at times rewards the rich and struggles to manage its own finances. He also shatters common perceptions about the costs of education here and abroad.

• Wealthier Students More Likely than Poor to Get Private Scholarships
• Confusing College Financial-Aid Letters Leave Students, Parents Adrift
• In Norway, Where College Is Free, Children of Uneducated Parents Still Don’t Go
• While U.S. Struggles, Sweden Pushes Older Students Back to College
• The $150 million Question—What Does Federal Regulation Really Cost Colleges?
• Benefits for Their Retirees Could Thwart Universities’ Cost-Cutting Plans
• While Washington Wavers, States Provide Detailed College Ratings

Comments from the Judges:

“Wonderful explanatory reporting, including a real depth and variety of stories. Stand out in the package for me was the story behind the $150 million number Vanderbilt keeps throwing out. Also, Marcus’s take on the college rating system was smart and unique.”

“Jon Marcus’ pieces form a very solid package of beat reporting. His expertise shows through in the various topics, and I love that he was able to travel [to] Scandinavia and draw comparisons to U.S. education in the way that only a well-informed beat reporter can. I also [love] the piece about the confusing jargon on financial aid letters.”

“This is a really strong package with a variety of angles on higher education. The story about deciphering student aid letters and how confusing it can be was incredibly important, and he clearly did a lot of reporting analyzing language and humanizing an otherwise bureaucratic story. I also really liked the story about scholarships going to middle- and high-income students as opposed to low-income students — a story we’re beginning to see reported a lot of different ways.”