The Governor's Task Force on the Role of Private Higher Education in Missouri was charged with finding the answers to and making recommendations concerning the following questions: (1) What resources do the private colleges and universities of Missouri have that might be utilized by the State? (2) What solutions have other states adopted toward making use of their private institutions, and which of these would best serve Missouri? (3) What have other states done to coordinate their interest in higher education, and which of these mechanisms would best serve Missouri's needs? and (4) What constitutional questions are involved in the State making use of its private colleges and universities? In response to these questions, it is recommended that the State: (1) establish a student assistance program under the supervision and administration of a central state agency; (2) set up the machinery necessary to allow contractual arrangements by the State with the private institutions; (3) encourage contracting between public and private institutions for services and programs; (4) conduct a study to determine what share of educational costs should be borne by students versus taxpayers; (5) restructure the Missouri Commission on Higher Education that it might better coordinate public and private higher education; and (6) amend the Missouri Constitution to allow students in need, regardless of whether they attend public or private institutions, to receive assistance grants from the State. (Author/HS)