A presentation is made of some of the elementary facts concerned with where colleges and universities obtain their funds, how they spend them, and what some of the more obvious trends in the larger aspects of these matters appear to be. Following a brief review of the historical background of college financial support, emphasis is given to some of the issues which are currently controversial. Although some brief attention is given to the problems of students seeking to surmount private financial stress, the emphasis is on the roles that higher education will play in the economy of the nation during the ensuing years, ways and means of providing for support of higher education, and the forming of public policies for its support. A brief bibliography is included. (FS)