Bad economy may hurt private universities: Moody's study predicts Parents likely to seek alternatives - Scott Travis, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Many expensive private universities could lose students this year as families search for cheaper alternatives for college, a new report suggests.... Moody's, which analyzes the creditworthiness of universities, said most families consider college a non-discretionary expense, so students will get their education somewhere. They will likely still attend Ivy League schools such as Harvard and Yale, but they may be less prone to choose less-selective, private schools. "Honestly, I think all of us are worried. We don't have a clear sense of how this will play out," said Delsie Phillips, vice president for enrollment management at Lynn University Bachelor's, master's & online degrees in Boca Raton, which charges $27,800 a year. "I think there's a certain group of parents who will still have the ability and the desire to send their children to a private university. But how many will it be?"