Anthony Hennen

Author Profile

Anthony Hennen

Anthony joined the Martin Center in October 2017. He holds a bachelor of science degree in journalism from Ohio University and a master's degree in politics/philosophy/economics from the Cevro Institute in Prague, Czech Republic.

Previously, he worked as a staff writer for Red Alert Politics and as the administrative director for the Center for College Affordability and Productivity.

Articles by Anthony Hennen

Did You Know? Majority of Federal Funding for College Is for Student Loans

Feb 20, 2020 · · No Comments on Did You Know? Majority of Federal Funding for College Is for Student Loans

The federal government has grown in importance for higher education for decades. The most long-lasting effect could be its status as the lender of first resort for student loans. The vast majority of federal spending on colleges and universities comes in the form of making loans, dwarfing all other activities. Of the $120 billion supplied … Continue reading “Did You Know? Majority of Federal Funding for College Is for Student Loans”

Pension Spiking at North Carolina Colleges: An $8 Million Bill for the Public

Feb 10, 2020 · · No Comments on Pension Spiking at North Carolina Colleges: An $8 Million Bill for the Public

In 2014, the North Carolina legislature passed a law to curb “pension spiking” among public employees. Pension spiking is when a worker dramatically increases their compensation at the end of their career to boost their pension (usually by converting benefits such as vacation or sick time pay), which creates a liability in the pension fund. … Continue reading “Pension Spiking at North Carolina Colleges: An $8 Million Bill for the Public”

Did You Know? Confucius Institutes Disappearing from American Campuses

Jan 23, 2020 · · No Comments on Did You Know? Confucius Institutes Disappearing from American Campuses

After years of expansion, Communist Party-funded Confucius Institutes have seen the tide turn against them at American colleges. The Institutes, controlled by the Chinese government, were created to teach Chinese language, culture, and history. Colleges quickly embraced them because they were cheap, easy sources of pride to claim that the school educated its students for … Continue reading “Did You Know? Confucius Institutes Disappearing from American Campuses”

Did You Know? The State of Federal Student Loans

Jan 9, 2020 · · No Comments on Did You Know? The State of Federal Student Loans

With the hyperbole inherent in a politicized topic like student loans, it’s important to step back and look at the data. The Department of Education recently published a quarterly report of the federal student loan portfolio with updated totals and information on what student debt looks like today. As of January 3, 2020, the federal … Continue reading “Did You Know? The State of Federal Student Loans”

Sky-High Athletics: UNC Spends $125,000 on Private Planes for Recruiting

Dec 30, 2019 · · No Comments on Sky-High Athletics: UNC Spends $125,000 on Private Planes for Recruiting

To reach far-flung towns, private planes can be indispensable. The University of North Carolina system, for instance, has an air fleet to shuttle doctors around the state. UNC Air Operations expands the reach of high-quality health care to remote parts of the state and allows doctors to train medical students while still practicing medicine. The … Continue reading “Sky-High Athletics: UNC Spends $125,000 on Private Planes for Recruiting”

Did You Know? How Majors at East Carolina U Pay Off

Dec 12, 2019 · · No Comments on Did You Know? How Majors at East Carolina U Pay Off

With new data on student debt and earnings released by the Department of Education, high school graduates can make better decisions about which school and major they choose. Looking at the data for East Carolina University, most graduates get a useful degree without too much debt—but there are a few caveats. First, the data pertains … Continue reading “Did You Know? How Majors at East Carolina U Pay Off”

The Credibility Issue in Nutrition Science Is a Sign for All of Higher Ed

Nov 27, 2019 · · No Comments on The Credibility Issue in Nutrition Science Is a Sign for All of Higher Ed

In recent years, psychology has dealt with a legitimacy crisis. Many influential psychological studies could not be reproduced by other psychologists, discrediting some key insights and weakening academic faith in the entire field. Nutrition science has a similar problem. The loudest critics argue that the methodologies relied on by researchers give bad data that are … Continue reading “The Credibility Issue in Nutrition Science Is a Sign for All of Higher Ed”

Without Financial Transparency, Colleges Mislabel Research Spending as Instructional

Oct 7, 2019 · · No Comments on Without Financial Transparency, Colleges Mislabel Research Spending as Instructional

Public colleges spend public money, but college officials are reluctant to make information about their budgets easy to understand. That aversion to transparency makes it easier to pass non-instructional expenses along to students. Many experts have discussed the problem. But without transparency, it can be hard to show just how much so-called instruction is actually … Continue reading “Without Financial Transparency, Colleges Mislabel Research Spending as Instructional”

Waiting for Reform: The Plans to Fix College Sports

Aug 26, 2019 · · No Comments on Waiting for Reform: The Plans to Fix College Sports

The public has lost faith in the NCAA and colleges to protect student-athletes. When surveying the numerous ideas for fixing college sports, it’s hard to make any other conclusion. Reform is by insiders and outsiders alike—even if it doesn’t happen. Demands for college athletics reform, however, aren’t rare in the history of college sports. A … Continue reading “Waiting for Reform: The Plans to Fix College Sports”

Student Loan Defaults Reveal the True Cost of Student Loans

Aug 2, 2019 · · No Comments on Student Loan Defaults Reveal the True Cost of Student Loans

With the rising number of student loan defaults, the federal government has reaped what it has sown. A government policy to give virtually any student a loan has pushed tens of thousands of them into a financial hole from which they will struggle to escape for years. A new report from The Institute for College … Continue reading “Student Loan Defaults Reveal the True Cost of Student Loans”