Let's address each part of the question using the provided graphs.

Part 1 (a): Public College Tuition Largest Percentage Increase

Looking at Figure 1, which shows the percentage change in tuition, the largest increase in public college tuition occurred in the academic year 2003-04, where the percentage was the highest. The rise appears to be about 13% in that year.

Answer:
Public college tuition rose the most in 2003-04 by about 13%.

Part 2 (b): Percentage Increase in Private College Tuition in the Same Year

In the academic year 2003-04, private college tuition increased by a lower percentage compared to public colleges. From Figure 1, the private college tuition increase was about 6%.

Answer:
The percentage increase in private college tuition in 2003-04 was about 6%.

Part 3 (c): Larger Dollar Increase in 2003-04: Public vs. Private Colleges

Since private college tuition starts at a much higher base, even a smaller percentage increase can result in a higher dollar increase compared to public colleges. Although public colleges had a larger percentage increase (13%), private colleges had a larger absolute dollar increase.

Answer:
The correct answer is A:
Private college tuition rose more in terms of dollars. Since their tuition was higher than public colleges, a lower percentage increase on private college tuition can be larger than a higher percentage increase on public college tuition.

Part 4 (d): General Trends in Percentage Change and Actual Tuition

From Figure 1, the percentage change in tuition for both public and private colleges shows a downward trend over time after peaking in the early 2000s.
From Figure 2, however, the actual tuition for both public and private colleges shows an upward trend continuously across the years.

Answer:
The general trend in percentage change for public and private schools is downward, and the general trend in actual tuition is upward.

Would you like to explore these details further or ask for clarification? Here are five related questions to expand on this:

1. How do percentage changes in tuition affect student debt levels?
2. What factors could have caused the spike in public tuition around 2003-04?
3. How do public and private colleges differ in terms of initial tuition costs?
4. Are there any trends in tuition reduction, or does it increase continuously?
5. How does inflation correlate with the tuition increases shown?

Tip: Always consider both the percentage increase and the initial cost when comparing price changes over time—higher initial values can lead to larger absolute increases even with lower percentages.