The Importance Of State Disinvestment In Higher Education

Increased tuitions are results of a variety of factors. Shrinkage of state budget and low endowments cause by the recession forcing colleges to make up the cost somehow (Lee). The government has increased their support during the recession. For example, in the form of Pell Grants which doubled over the years. Andrew Kelly, director of the Center on Higher Education Reform at the American Enterprise Institute, writes “... the increase of federal spending has been completely eroded by the rising tuition prices”(Bidwell). Higher tuition defeats the purpose of the federal government increasing their support.

State legislators slashed more than $121 million from college financial aid programs alone. TEXAS grants, the state’s financial aid program for needy students, now serves 29,000 fewer students than it did previously. College administrators have reported losing highly qualified students to private or out-of-state

After World War II and the establishment of Higher Education Act of 1965, the primary goal of equalizing educational opportunity to lower and middle income students became a national initiative (Mullhern et al. 2015). These initiative were provided through grants and financial aid. However, in recent years student loans have become an important part of the equation. Since the Great Recession in 2008, many states have not invested in higher education at pre-recession levels, which were already low from the previous recession (Mitchell, Palacious & Leachman). This has

Funding for Oklahoma schools has fallen dramatically in recent years, with Oklahoma spending $706 less per student in inflation-adjusted dollars that it did in 2008, and Oklahomans are worried about it, and rightly so (Gene, 1). In looking toward a quick-fix, many have argued that Oklahoma need only reduce its administrative costs, thus

State legislators slashed more than $121 million from college financial aid programs alone, leaving 29,000 students without the possibility of receiving aid from TEXAS grants, the state’s financial aid program for needy students. Since Texas colleges and universities were also cut 9 percent by the legislator, they were forced to raise prices for students. Due to the uncertainty of the Texas financial aid, many college administrators reported losing numerous highly qualified students to out-of-state universities and colleges and many families have lost the ability to pay for tuition because of the lack of resources.

The state of California has long been reliant on the University of California system to provide its resident companies with skilled and educated business, technology, and science leaders. Highly regarded as one of the top educational systems in the world, the University of California boasts a high number of distinguished and respected faculty members in almost every field of study. However, while most private colleges and universities have learned how to streamline their processes in order to better respond to stakeholder needs, public educational institutions, such as the University of California, have not been willing to control their bureaucratic growth resulting in a rise of tuition rates and a decline in the level of student satisfaction. In her article for the TIME magazine, Kate Pickert writes that as recently as November of this year the University of California has approved a plan that could raise tuition rates by up to 28% (Pickert). Pickert also points out that the tuition rates at the University of California have more than tripled since 2001. The University of California has blamed the increased tuition on the state of California budget cuts caused by the economic downturn of recent years. However, a closer examination of the University of California faculty and administration data makes it obvious that the higher rates of tuition are cause by the inability and

“College Prices Soar Again!” “Budget Cuts Cause Even Higher Tuition!” “Higher Education Now Even Less Affordable” These are all statements that have been seen all over the media: newspapers, magazines, television, and radio. (3 SV: SV) Rising college tuition in America has been a problem for years. Many students drop out after a single year due to the pricey costs of tuition. The rapid rise can be attributed to many aspects of the economy, not just a single source. There have also been some propositions of how costs could be lowered, but these have yet to be seen. The United States has gone into a tuition crisis.

The National Conference of State Legislatures said, “School budget crunches have been a trend over the past couple years and span the entire nation” (qtd. in Van

In an article written by Michelle Goldberg who writes for The Nation (2015), includes the Governor of the State of Kansas in the article “This is What Happens When You Slash Funding for Public Universities.” (Goldberg, 2015). The moral issue is that the poor keep getting poorer, and struggle to qualify for funding for tuition, which would put them in a better position to increase their pay. According to an article in The Kansas City Star (2015), Kansas is not the only state affected by the increase in tuition. Community colleges have reduced the number of classes they offer (Hanna, 2015) and some states have opted to reach out to the upper crust by offering elite apartments to draw the students who have money to pay for college

The rising cost of education in Texas colleges started in 2003 when the deregulation was lifted. Then, soon after, the Texas State legislature cut the education budget because of a drop in the economy in 2008. The cut in funding and the removal of the deregulation law allowed colleges across Texas a way to recoup lost resources by raising the cost of tuition. The raising cost of tuition has limited the amount of attending students from graduating in the expected time frame, left students in debt, and has denied the chance of countless others from attending the college of their choice. This essay will reflect on supporting evidence to demonstrate how the increase of cost of college tuition over the past 10 years has affected future and current student enrollment.

Presently, the availability of educational opportunities at the college and university level is a critical state and personal interest given the needs of the state for a well-educated workforce which has never been greater. Too many, the focal point of attending college is receiving a high paying job in the future. Unfortunately, in most states, tuition is on the rise and students who come from low-income families find themselves struggling to fund their education. According to legislatures, “The cost of college in New Jersey, as in the nation, continues to grow faster than the rate of inflation.” (State of New Jersey 1). In the national financial aid policy resources that are typically given to the neediest families are shifting towards

With this being said, higher education accounts for approximately 18.1% of the total state budget and 8.2% of the general fund. Unfortunately this is still far below the “maintenance level” that is required for the universities to provide the same level of service as they did the year before. A maintenance-level budget includes cost increases over which the institutions have no control, such as negotiated wage and benefit agreements, inflation in the cost of goods and services, and increased energy costs. In

The tuition increases have come in response to the lack of federal funding to universities, leading them to find their own way to provide for their upkeep. “Recent increases in university tuition fees are part of a new entrepreneurial trend in higher education in which institutions are expected to generate more of their own revenue” (Quirke). The universities have decided that since they can no longer look towards federal funds to fuel their costs of maintenance and revenue, they must find a new route towards attaining much needed funds, and they have chosen to

State contributions to the 2009-10 operating budget declined by $189 million at UCLA, $109 million at University of Florida, $99 million at University of Washington, and $63 million at Louisiana State University (LSU), according to a Nov.1, 2009, New York Times article by Paul Fain. The percentage decline was equally significant, ranging from 33 percent at UCLA to 27 percent at LSU. (24)

Lack of external funding and personnel to focus on advancement and development remains the most important threat they are facing for long time. Lack of these factors are affecting their advancement and development to attract more students and hence registration rates are less. As additional resources and funds are not funneled into the program as needed they have to scale back course offerings in response to managing already constrained resources. This is negatively affecting KSU’s enrollment, and revenue growth number, and students pursue the degrees at other institutions. Reduced support from state and non-state sources added to this