The same economic problems that are steering more students towards less expensive public universities are also creating major financial woes for those universities. California's state budget is probably the most dire of all states, and the University of California is anticipating an $813 million reduction in state support.

Mark Yudof, president of the University of California, outlined how the system would cope with the loss of funds. The cost saving plans include:

• An increase in student fees
• Furloughs for university employees
• Refinancing of debt
• Cuts from the 10 campuses

For the latter category, many of the cuts will involve scaled back hiring. UC Berkeley, for example, is likely to hire 10 new faculty members instead of the usual 100. For more details, check out the official UC press release.

What does all this mean for current and future UC students? We can't know for certain yet, but when faculty and staff are cut students can usually expect larger classes, fewer class options, and reduced campus services. The increased fees are also bad news since the University of California is already one of the most expensive public university systems in the country.

Related Reading

• Schools in the UC System
• A Comparison of the UC Campuses
• SAT Comparison for UC Admission

This week's spotlight takes us to one of my favorite cities -- Burlington, Vermont -- where we find Champlain College. Champlain is not your typical small college. While the school's curriculum does have a liberal arts foundation, it emphasizes practical and professional training as well. Champlain college calls this "education in 3 dimensions" -- the Academic Core Dimension, the Professional Dimension, and the Life Experience and Action Dimension. You can learn more about 3D on the Champlain website.

The result of this merging of liberal arts and preprofessional training is a somewhat quirky yet compelling curriculum in which undergraduates can major in specialized and niche fields. Few other colleges, especially small ones, offer majors such as game design, radiology, environmental policy and digital filmmaking.

Champlain College's admissions are selective, but not out of reach for most hard-working students. While not cheap, Champlain has done better than many small colleges in keeping tuition, fees, room and board to a minimum. The majority of students receive some form of grant aid.

Every week I spotlight a great college that might be off the radar of college applicants. If you'd like to recommend a school for a future spotlight, please do so here in the College Admissions forum. And if you're familiar with Champlain College, please share your impressions.

To learn more about Champlain College, be sure to check out my Champlain College admissions profile and visit the school's official website.

Related Reading:

• Top Liberal Arts Colleges
• Colleges Featured in the 2009 Spotlights
• Small College or Large University?

Choosing the wrong college can have significant financial and personal consequences. But how can you improve the chances that the college you finally select will be a good match for your personality and interests?

Ian Mortimer, the Director of Admissions at Champlain College, generously shared with us a few tips for helping you choose the right college. Central to his advice is the idea that the student, not the college, is in the driver's seat during the selection process. Be sure to check out the article before you get too far in your college search.

More Articles on Choosing a College

• Small College or Large University?
• 5 Reasons to Consider Community College
• Make the Most of Your Campus Visit
• Low SAT Scores? Try These Colleges

If you've been following the news in recent weeks, you've probably seen articles on the "clout admissions" scandal at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In short, some less qualified students were admitted because influential people called in favors.

The Chicago Tribune broke the story and has run a series of exposés on these unfair admissions policies. Yesterday a group of professors fired back, arguing not that the admissions process is acceptable, but that it is so common and widespread that the focus on Illinois is misplaced and artificially sensationalized. You can read the latest Chicago Tribune story here.

The professors, of course, are correct -- "clout admissions" are common. Legacy students get a slight advantage in admissions. Military academies such as West Point and Annapolis actually require a nomination from a member of congress. And we'd be naive to think that a recommendation from a person with significant political or financial influence would have no effect on a college's admissions policies.

The unfair practice of "clout admissions" is all about college finances. Tuition alone doesn't cover the costs at most colleges, even those with a $50,000 price tag. To balance the books, colleges need large donations; they need to build their endowments; and they need legislation that helps them minimize expenses.

Is there a solution to this problem, or should we just accept things as they are? Share your thoughts below.