The role of tuition in financing public higher education in several southern states is examined. Several problem areas are addressed: how tuition levels are established and what rationales exist for the various charges; the contribution made by tuition when compared to other sources of revenue; and the essential elements of a statewide study of tuition and tuition policy. It is shown that the historical pattern of tuition has resulted in inequities between types of institutions, between levels of instruction, between full- and part-time students, and between in-state and out-of-state tuition. Financial aid is also shown to affect the differential between public and private tuition. Tuition policy should be a major factor in educational goal development. (LBH)