State supported colleges are often pointed to as being sources of great pride.Everything from their football teams to their storied academics are viewed almost worshipfully in some circles. However, that does not mean they are immune to the budget cuts that are sweeping through the nation as cash-strapped states enact austerity measures.
State Funding of Higher Education is Being Slashe
And no where is that fact more evident than in California, whose fiscal woes are well documented. Administrators do not yet know exactly what will happen if the state legislature approves the proposed $1.4 billion in funding cuts for the state's vast college system. But they are convinced that this decision will translate into more crowded classes, fewer course offerings and higher tuition bills.
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, meanwhile, wants to cut state funding for universities by 20 percent and aid to community colleges by about half to deal with a $1.1 billion deficit this coming fiscal year. And the head of Georgia's state university system has warned college students that they should brace for more tuition increases in the upcoming months, a January 20, 2011 Times-Picayune article “Higher education a target for state budget cuts across the nation” reports.
The reaction to this trend has been swift and vocal. A January 24, 2011 New York Times article by Tamar Lewin “ Public Universities Relying More on Tuition Than State Money” quotes Pat Callan, president of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, as noting:“Something important is happening here. I wouldn’t call it privatization, a word often used by presidents of public institutions who want a blank check on raising tuition. But with the shift toward more student funding, you have to wonder who owns these places — the students, because they’re paying the majority, or the state, which has invested hundreds of years in the physical plant and the brand?”
And students remain acutely aware of the challenges that await them. Among those who expect to be touched is University of South Carolina sophomore Allison Murphy, who said, “The whole thing is kind of scary, for somebody like me who’s paying for college myself,” Ms. Murphy, who plans to be a teacher, said. “I turn 20 tomorrow, I’m already in debt, and if tuition goes up again next year, I’ll be in an even worse position,” according to the Times article.
Bucking the Trend, Some States are Continuing to Support Public Colleges
But none of these dire predictions should be interpreted as meaning there are no bright spots in the picture. A Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine article “50 Best Values in Public Colleges” notes that some public universities are prospering by becoming leaner and meaner. Their cost-consciousness has enabled them to continue providing quality education without raising tuitions beyond the reach of many potential students.
And the Kiplinger’s article praises, in particular, the diligence of North Carolina for continuing to fund UNC-Chapel Hill which ranks at the very top of its list. It quotes that school’s Chancellor Holden Thorpe as saying, "There's no reason we can't conduct nonacademic functions as efficiently as possible.”
And in an effort to do just that Thorpe hired a consulting company Bain, to help streamline operations. Following their recommendations enabled the university to pare 10% in administrative expenses, a move which reflected their anticipation of a state reduction in funding. The end result of their “austerity measures. The annual in-state cost for students with financial needs comes to a dirt-cheap $5,912.
The Fight to Make College Affordable
Public colleges are also becoming more aggressive as regards seeking donations from alumni. These efforts have not been without their frustrations as public colleges are generally not rich kids’ schools, with graduates having large sums to contribute, and the tradition of donating to them has not been as vigorous as it is in the case of private schools.
There are, however, success stories, a January 15, 2011 article New York Times article by Lisa W. Foderaro, ”Amid Cuts, Public Colleges Step Up Appeals to Alumni,” notes. A decade ago, the 23 colleges and professional schools that make up the City University of New York raised $50 million a year collectively. Today, that figure is $200 million, and officials have set a goal of $3 billion by 2015.
And for those who find expenses at public four-year colleges too steep, community colleges remain an affordable option. According to an October 5, 2010 newsobserver.com article by Eric Ferreri, “Community colleges grow and bask in the limelight,” at least half of all undergraduates now attend these schools, learning marketable skills.
Sources
Ferreri, Eric, “Community colleges grow and bask in the limelight,” accessed January 30, 2011
“50 Best Values in Public Colleges,” accessed January 30, 2011
Foderaro, Lisa W.,”Amid Cuts, Public Colleges Step Up Appeals to Alumni,” accessed January 30, 2011
“Higher education a target for state Budget Cuts Across the nation,” accessed January 30, 2011
Lewin, Tamar, “ Public Universities Relying More on Tuition Than State Money,” January 30, 2011
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