In an age mildly embarrassed by the royal males' enthusiasm for wearing tweed and killing wildlife, her middle-class origins are a plus.

ECONOMIST: In Kate Middleton the royal family has made a good hire

In the 2006 budget-cutting "reconciliation" bill President George W. Bush signed this month, the best known student loan programs for middle-class families--Stafford loans for students and so-called PLUS loans for parents--took a big hit.

FORBES: College Loan Crunch