College affordability is an increasingly important public policy issue. With decision-making power over funding to institutions, funding to students, and the pricing of institutions, states play a tremendous role in determining what students pay for college. In New England, these decisions are spread across institutional boards, system offices, state agencies, and state legislatures. The processes for making these decisions is relatively decentralized compared with the rest of the country. Because the region also has high tuition rates and low state grant aid levels compared with the nation, the need for policymakers to convene around these decisions across boards and governance structures is amplified. Conversations on paying for college are happening at dinner tables and in state legislatures across New England everyday--so this a timely opportunity for state players to collaborate on these policy decisions and shape a more cohesive strategy for impacting college affordability in the region. With state policymakers passionately discussing college affordability in the context of all encompassing master plans like Connecticut's all the way down to the year-to-year awards of state need-based grant programs, New England has a bright opportunity to convene decision-makers and protocols around a common goal. Institutional appropriations, student aid and the level of tuition and mandatory fees are all powerful instruments at a state's disposal: When aligned in a strategic, intentional way, they can exert a powerful impact on college affordability for the region.