<p>Please forgive me, but I think this discussion has gone off a tangent about the return on the USC endowment, vs. the writer who is concerned about paying for USC tuition when the stock market has plummeted. A lot depends on where you intend to get the money to pay for your child’s tuition if s/he doesn’t get the full trustee scholarship or if you are income is not low enough to qualify for grants. I hear that loan money is tight too. I think it is going to be tough for a lot of people. Also, I think USC is better, if you can figure out how to pay for it, than state schools (even if the state schools are cheaper) because it sounds like some state schools are going to be hard hit with big budget cuts resulting in very large classes and other activities removed due to budget cuts. It is just going to be hard for a lot of people. If you can afford USC as a freshman, great. If not, you might want to think about a community college and hope the market swings back in the next two years to pay for USC as a transfer student.</p>