Public and private campuses are charting opposite responses to budget pressure. Nevada’s governing board voted 8–5 to raise tuition systemwide—authorizing increases of roughly 12% at four‑year institutions and 9% at two‑year colleges over three years—to cover a projected multi‑year shortfall and avoid program cuts. Regents and system leaders argued the hikes are necessary to shore up faculty positions, deferred maintenance and student services. At the same time Yale University expanded its tuition‑guarantee program, pledging free tuition for all undergraduate students from families earning under $200,000 and full cost coverage for families under $100,000. Yale framed the move as improving affordability and simplifying aid for a broad swath of applicants. The juxtaposition highlights widening fiscal stress in public systems versus targeted elite aid strategies—and signals likely political backlash in states where fee increases accelerate access debates. Campus leaders must balance budgets while defending access, retention and institutional missions.