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05/25/2023
State Support for Higher Ed Continues to Rise. Yet Public Colleges Still Face Headwinds.
While enrollment is down at the nation’s public colleges, state funding for higher ed is up — and students have been footing less of the
05/25/2023
State funding for higher ed surpasses pre-Great Recession levels
State funding for higher education increased 4.9% in 2022 when adjusted for inflation, rising for the 10th straight year, according to an annual report from
05/25/2023
State Funding Rose Last Year. Will it Last?
State funding for public higher education increased by nearly 5 percent in fiscal year 2022, according to the latest State Higher Education Finance (SHEF) report
'What's on state directors' minds
State directors of community colleges covered a lot of ground at their spring meeting on Saturday, from dual-enrollment trends to hiring challenges, as well as
02/08/2023
Making sure a college degree is worth more than a diploma
Amid faltering enrollment rates and increased national scrutiny of the price and worth of a college education, Colorado is weighing a new formula to measure
01/21/2023
What's a college degree worth? States start to demand colleges share the data.
When Troy Grant was looking at colleges as a prospective student, he had little idea about how much they would actually cost, whether certain degrees
10/03/2022
The Return of College as a Common Good: Americans increasingly see the public value of higher education. Can colleges seize the moment?
In 1980, the U.S. Department of Education polled parents of high-school students on the question of who should pay for college. It was the dawn
09/22/2022
How Federal and State Policies Judge College ‘Value’: Key Podcast
As recently as a decade ago, the concept of value rarely found its way into discussions about federal and state policy making about higher education.
What the Student Loan-Debate Overlooks
A core conservative critique of President Joe Biden’s executive action on student-debt forgiveness is that the plan requires blue-collar Americans to subsidize privileged children idly
08/29/2022
Is state disinvestment in higher ed a myth? The devil is in the details.
A commonly held belief in the world of higher education is that sagging state funding for public colleges has resulted in skyrocketing tuition prices. But
08/12/2022
The Shrinking of Higher Ed
Nearly 1.3 million students have disappeared from American colleges during the Covid-19 pandemic, raising alarms that the enrollment emergency projected to arrive a few years
Education secretary, first lady to announce American Rescue Plan education grants
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and first lady Jill Biden on Wednesday will announce the final set of education grants under the American Rescue Plan (ARP),
States and localities pump more money into community colleges than four-year campuses
State and county officials used to think bachelor’s and graduate degree students deserved more money than those pursuing two-year associate degrees, but during the pandemic
06/30/2022
Higher education isn't immune to inflation. Here's where it will hurt the most.
"Inflation is going to be really disastrous for higher education,” Griffith said. “(...)The vast majority of the schools don’t have the resources to correct for
06/20/2022
The increase came in part from a federal relief associated with the pandemic, but states themselves also increased their contributions.
State and county officials used to think bachelor’s and graduate degree students deserved more money than those pursuing two-year associate degrees, but during the pandemic
06/14/2022
State Funding For Public Higher Education Increased 4.5% In 2021
Overall state funding for public higher education increased by 4.5% in Fiscal Year 2021 (July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021). The finding, revealed today
06/14/2022
States Contributing More For Public Colleges—But Will It Last?
It’s been a long time since state governments paid the lion’s share of public higher education costs. In 20 states, tax appropriations and state lottery
06/14/2022
Buoyed by federal aid, state higher ed funding rose by 4.5% in fiscal 2021
State and local appropriations for colleges rose for the ninth year in a row in fiscal 2021, in part because federal coronavirus relief money cushioned
06/14/2022
State Higher Ed Funding Rose in 2021
Federal stimulus dollars flowing to states kept appropriations strong in the 2021 fiscal year even as enrollment kept declining, a report from the State Higher
05/13/2022
As businesses hunt for educated workers, states are loosening the purse strings for higher ed again
Governors link some new money for public colleges to workforce training needs.
05/13/2022
Student Loan Borrowers Don’t Deserve ‘Forgiveness.’ They Deserve an Apology.
Whatever the cost of any student loan cancellation program, it’ll just be money we should have spent on higher education in the first place.
03/31/2022
Colleges scramble to recruit students as nationwide enrollment plunges
Hundreds of thousands have left the college pipeline amid pandemic turmoil and the lure of jobs.
02/16/2022
State Support for Higher Education on the Upswing, Report Finds
Following months of concern over states slashing their higher education budgets to balance their books due to an economic recession amid the pandemic, state education
02/06/2022
Inflation is coming to college campuses. Prepare to pay more.
Even as enrollment dips and some question the value of a degree, colleges say they must raise tuition.
02/01/2022
State Higher Ed Funding Tops $100B in Fiscal 2022
Without accounting for inflation, state funding levels increased by 6.5 percent year over year in fiscal 2022. This jump is due in part to ongoing federal
02/01/2022
State funding for higher education tops $100B for the first time
Initial state financial support for higher education has topped $100 billion for the first time, according to new research from the State Higher Education Executive
02/01/2022
States Show Recovery in Support for Higher Education
State spending on higher education in the 2022 fiscal year increased from the previous year — fueled, in part, by some states’ reversal of the
02/01/2022
State support for higher ed projected to rise 8.5% in fiscal 2022 before inflation
State support for higher education is projected to increase 8.5% in fiscal 2022 over the previous year, according to the latest Grapevine survey, though this
11/09/2021
A New Push to Create a 3-Year Degree Option
Higher education thought leaders and colleges are working together to create a three-year bachelor’s degree program that will offer all the value of a four-year
06/02/2021
Funding Analysis: States Too Quick to Use Higher Ed as 'Budgetary Release Valve'
State and local resources are the primary source of funding for public higher education, yet those funds have steadily diminished in recent years.
05/28/2021
How Federal Stimulus Spending Plays Out for State Higher Ed
Without federal stimulus money, states would have cut tax appropriations for higher education by 2.3 percent. But how states are spending the billions in stimulus varies.
05/28/2021
State Funding for Higher Ed Increased in 2020 for the 8th Straight Year. It Won’t Make Up for Past Cuts.
State higher-education funding per full-time equivalent student was up for the eighth consecutive year, at 2.9 percent in the 2020 fiscal year, according to a
05/27/2021
States Spent $2.68 Billion on Private Colleges in 2020
During the 2020 fiscal year, states spent $2.68 billion on private colleges and universities, the equivalent of $563 per full-time student across the country, according to
05/26/2021
State Higher Ed Funding Increases for 8th Straight Year
Despite the years of increases, state and local funding for public higher education has not fully recovered from cuts made during the 2008 recession, an
09/18/2020
4 steps to improving college access
Angel Pérez, CEO of the National Association for College Admission Counseling, explains how to create a student-centric higher education system.
07/19/2020
America’s Innovation Engine Is Slowing
Earlier this month, Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced that international students attending universities that switch to online-only courses in the fall would be required to
06/04/2020
COVID-19 Could Be End of Line for Some Regional Colleges
The Vermont State Colleges System, which includes three four-year colleges and a community college, had been in financial trouble for years before the coronavirus pandemic
05/11/2020
Colleges Want No Repeat of the Last Recession's Cuts
During the last recession more than a decade ago, states slashed about $33 billion in funding for the nation’s colleges and universities from 2008 to 2012.
05/05/2020
State Funding for Public Colleges Was Rebounding. Now They Brace for Coronavirus Budget Cuts
Most state funding for public colleges and universities is still not up to pre-recession levels — and it could put schools in a difficult position
05/05/2020
The ‘Public’ in Public College Could Be Endangered
Since the Great Recession, states have taken drastically different approaches to funding colleges. The pandemic poses an even bigger challenge.
05/05/2020
Public Higher Ed Funding Still Has Not Recovered From 2008 Recession
State funding for higher education remains below pre-recession levels and will likely stay that way, a new report from the State Higher Education Executive Officers
05/05/2020
State support for higher ed rose again in 2019, but that trend is expected to stop
Although the boost in state appropriations would suggest a healthy funding outlook for the nation's public colleges, the reality is more complicated. Public institutions have only recovered
03/12/2020
Coronavirus Could Cause a Long-Term Higher Ed Crisis
The impact of the coronavirus epidemic on higher education has been swift. The outbreak has already upended conference schedules and athletic events, and institutions have
01/19/2020
Has global higher education recovered from the financial crash?
Analysis of Unesco and OECD data suggests that, on the surface, spending has rebounded – but some fundamental aspects of higher education investment may have
01/14/2020
What is the state of state higher ed funding?
Only about one in four U.S. adults say postsecondary education is affordable, according to a Gallup survey
12/23/2019
Opinion: Free college for everyone? School presidents aren't impressed
A dozen college presidents, most representing non-flagship public schools, gathered here recently for an annual media dinner. Many spoke persuasively about the need for greater
12/10/2019
Some States Move Toward Financial Aid Based on Need Rather Than Merit
State-funded merit scholarships are politically popular. But as college tuition rises, policymakers in some states are starting to rethink financial aid that disproportionately benefits white,
12/04/2019
As Universities See State Funding Threatened, Will They Be Less Outspoken About Climate Change?
What happens when what your legislature wants is at odds with your student body or your faculty? What happens as state universities’ budgets shrink, while
10/24/2019
Dueling Conclusions on State Disinvestment
One report says funding cuts by states to public colleges are a problem; another says they're a myth.
10/15/2019
A Tale of Two Spenders: How State and Federal Higher Ed Spending Shifted During the Great Recession
Government spending on higher education has shifted significantly over the past two decades, with federal support increasing and state support decreasing. Between 2000 and 2015,
10/07/2019
Congress's $2 billion to community colleges worth it or not?
Friday was “numbers Friday” at the Labor Department — the day when the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its monthly jobs report. On the same
09/27/2019
Two-Thirds of College Students Take On Debt, but Amount Is Rising More Slowly
America’s student debt is growing more slowly, but borrowing remains a fact of life for most students. The average burden for indebted college graduates is
09/11/2019
‘Nobody is Talking About This’: The Sorry State of Higher Ed Funding
Most Americans believe state spending for state colleges and universities has increased, or held steady, over the past decade, according to a recent survey by
09/04/2019
The Top Public Schools in the WSJ/THE College Rankings
More than two dozen public schools placed in this year’s top 100 of the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings, with 10 public schools
State
Tuition 101: Making sense of what college classes cost at Oregon's big public universities
Oregon is fast approaching an important period in its higher education calendar. College-bound high schoolers need to make final commitments about where they’ll go to
Increase in FAFSA-Filing Rates for Tennessee Promise
Tennessee is currently the number one sate for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion in the nation. Over the last year, the Tennessee Higher
OR: Kotek proposes $13.5 billion for education but critics say more is needed
Over the next two years, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek wants to invest more money in education for the state’s youngest learners, ensure ninth graders are
Higher ed chair backs $335M in new aid investments
Higher education advocates are escalating their calls to steer a large portion of the more than $1 billion in anticipated income surtax revenues to students
VA: Debt, lobbying and distrust hamper funding for higher ed in Virginia
Death by a thousand, unnoticeable cuts. That’s how inflation, declining enrollment and an opaque funding system for Virginia’s institutions has felt to some of the
Nationally, states spend more on community college students than four-year students. Virginia does not. Why?
One thing is clear about Gov. Glenn Youngkin: He understands the importance of community colleges. Many things about Youngkin might be clear, of course, but
11/01/2022
Oklahoma Regents Request $96 Million Funding Increase
The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education are seeking an additional $96 million from state lawmakers this year, bringing the total state funding request to $986 million,
09/30/2022
Western Connecticut Challenges Reflect System Tensions
Faculty demands for accountability continue at Western Connecticut State University, months after the president stepped down amid scrutiny over the depletion of the institution’s reserves.
09/27/2022
Penn State Seeks Major Appropriations Boost
State support for higher education has been on the decline in Pennsylvania for years. But Pennsylvania State University leaders are now asking lawmakers to reverse
Kevin G. Walthers: Canceling student debt: Neither solution nor disaster
Student debt relief became a national political issue in 2020, and President Biden took action on his campaign promise this week to cancel some federal
The hidden subsidy behind those old ‘bootstrap’ students
U.S. Rep. Barry Moore thinks everybody should pay for college just like he did. With sweat. “I joined the military, used the GI bill &
Building a New Tradition: Pennsylvania has combined three campuses, creating Pennsylvania Western University
With enrollments declining at California, Clarion and Edinboro universities, the state has combined the three campuses, creating Pennsylvania Western University.
State colleges’ net prices fall, statistics show
Five of the six largest public universities in the state reported decreases in average net price, a measure of college affordability for first-time enrollees who
New higher ed budget pulls Michigan out of fourth-to-last in public university funding
The education budget signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday has one of the biggest overall increases in university funding in state history, a boost
06/24/2022
Western Connecticut State President Out After Draining Reserves
Western Connecticut State University president John Clark is stepping down amid a financial crisis that resulted in a depletion of 99 percent of university reserves in recent
Despite recent increases, higher-ed funding in New Hampshire trails all other states
State funding for public higher education in New Hampshire lags behind funding levels in most states, even after recent increases in state support. Data collected
06/16/2022
Report: Universities nabbed higher government appropriations in 2021
The increase came in part from a federal relief associated with the pandemic, but states themselves also increased their contributions.
Pa. State System overhauls its university funding formula
Pennsylvania’s state university system Wednesday overhauled the way hundreds of millions of public dollars are allocated each year to campuses in a bid to better
06/15/2022
Report: Almost 40% of Colorado's 2021 higher ed funding came from federal aid
Almost 40% of higher education funding in Colorado came from federal aid dollars in 2021, a new report says. In all, 39% of the state’s
05/16/2022
UA comes out on top in productivity funding
State data shows the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville has by far gained the most dollars -- well more than three times the amount of any
04/22/2022
Tuition increases at every public university but JSU
Every public university but Jackson State University will raise tuition rates this coming school year, continuing a trend that puts the cost of college increasingly
11/15/2021
Corporate money keeps university ag schools ‘relevant,’ and makes them targets of donor criticism
Large donors can put universities in potentially awkward positions when faculty conclusions conflict with the interests of those benefactors. Data collected by Harvest Public Media
07/15/2021
Opinion: Compared with other states, Iowa stands out in declining support for universities
Iowa has been starving its universities of state support for at least a decade. It has steadily shifted the burden to students and their families.
06/20/2021
Reports: Alabama higher ed relies more on tuition, less on state support
Revenue at Alabama’s higher education institutions in 2020 was greater than the national per-student average and ranked seventh in the nation, but students’ tuition dollars
05/27/2021
States of Distress
State governments are threatening — and in some cases have already slashed — higher education budgets in response to the pandemic's financial toll, setting a
05/10/2021
Low Income Students In Oregon Struggle To Afford Higher Education
The cost to attend college isn’t just tuition. Books, housing, food, learning accommodations and other expenses all add up. While paying for college anywhere in
04/27/2021
Pennsylvania's Plans to Consolidate 6 State Universities
The plans were published in advance of a Board of Governors meeting and pave the way for a week of discussion and debate about the consolidation.
03/22/2021
Pace of proposed USNH-CCSNH merger questioned
House lawmakers have begun slowing the pace of Gov. Chris Sununu’s proposal to consolidate the University System of New Hampshire and Community College System of
11/25/2020
Arizona's 4-Year Public Universities Form Alliance
New alliance targets improving graduation rates and retention rates and admitting students from low-income families.
08/14/2020
New Mexico State University System Consolidating Three Community Colleges
Facing declining enrollment and a financial beating from the COVID-19 pandemic, the New Mexico State University system will consolidate leadership at three of its community
05/07/2020
Pandemic in N.J. ‘Unlike Anything’ Before
Second nationally in deaths caused by the coronavirus. A frozen state budget. Efforts to recruit students to stay. How will higher education in New Jersey
05/05/2020
Higher Ed ‘Will Never Be the Same:’ Commissioner
With no clear timeline for when state colleges and universities can safely operate amid the coronavirus pandemic, academic institutions face uncertain future
02/20/2020
Community colleges scramble to graduate more working-age students
As state community colleges struggle to raise enrollment, they are looking to recruit more non-traditional students — those older than 25.
02/17/2020
SUNY's insufficient funding levels must be addressed
The SUNY and CUNY systems are among the most important engines of upward economic mobility in the state, yet they received but passing mention in
02/04/2020
Colorado campuses sound alarm as leaders push cost-cutting and “efficiency through starvation”
One by one, the leaders of Colorado’s colleges and universities appeared before lawmakers to make a collective plea: Don’t neglect us — again.
01/29/2020
UAA enrollment drops 10% this fall after summer of tense budget battles
Leaders at the University of Alaska Anchorage are grappling with their largest drop in enrollment in years. The number of students who signed up for
11/27/2019
Penn State and Pa.’s public colleges are among the nation’s costliest — and are surprisingly empty
Pennsylvania taxpayer funding for higher education peaked in 2000 at an inflation-adjusted $9,433 per student, according to the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association data.
11/25/2019
Kevin Walthers: The Hancock Promise changes the odds for our community
As we approach the 2020 election season, most candidates are touting plans to address college affordability. This is a welcome discussion in light of the
10/29/2019
If Missouri College Students Could Party Like It's 1999, They'd Save About 61% On Tuition
Missouri state funding hasn’t kept up with student enrollment or inflation, higher education experts say, and that has colleges relying on tuition and fees to
10/25/2019
Black college students in Illinois get the short end of the financial stick
Illinois is spending more on higher ed overall but less on financial aid, as pension plans gobble funding
10/24/2019
Oregon “falling behind” on college affordability, data shows
Oregon is spending slightly more per student than before the Great Recession on higher education, but tuition is climbing far faster.
10/22/2019
70% of college students graduate in debt: Northwest Indiana students talk about the reality of paying back loans after graduation
70% of college students graduate in debt: Northwest Indiana students talk about the reality of paying back loans after graduation
10/18/2019
Moving Away From Merit Aid
The University of Pittsburgh isn't offering free tuition. Instead, it's matching Pell Grants and shifting merit aid after calculating how much unmet need is too
10/08/2019
Free College Proposal Raises Serious Questions
Gov. Lujan Grisham has put forth a plan (set for debate and possible approval in the 2020 Legislature) for “free” college for New Mexico residents.
09/27/2019
Michigan higher ed budget could lead to more tuition hikes, critics say
Michigan’s public universities aren’t thrilled with the higher education budget that passed the legislature this week, warning that continued under-investment would hit students’ pocketbooks the
09/23/2019
University of Alaska Considers Consolidation After Budget Cuts
Consolidating its three separate universities or units thereof are among the options open to the Alaska public higher education system in the wake of a
09/07/2019
Study: Low-income, students of color squeezed in Michigan’s college affordability crisis
A new study shows that Michigan’s public universities and community colleges are facing an affordability crisis, which has especially hit low-income families hard.
09/03/2019
Opinion | Michigan is now 44th in per-resident support for higher ed
As state officials work toward the Michigan’s fiscal year 2020 budget, new data show how far our state has fallen in supporting higher education, putting