Topic: Costs

Did You know? The North Carolina Legislature Provides 41% of the UNC System’s Operational Funding

Sep 12, 2019 · · No Comments on Did You know? The North Carolina Legislature Provides 41% of the UNC System’s Operational Funding

The North Carolina General Assembly often takes heat from the media on the topic of funding for education. But at least some of that criticism is unfounded. The General Assembly has been generous to the UNC system for many years. State appropriations are the single biggest source of funding for the UNC system: 41 percent … Continue reading “Did You know? The North Carolina Legislature Provides 41% of the UNC System’s Operational Funding”

Can American Higher Education Be Restored?

Sep 4, 2019 · · No Comments on Can American Higher Education Be Restored?

People who analyze and write about higher education generally fall into two camps. One camp consists of those who believe that our system is “the envy of the world” and just needs more public support to do its great work of improving our citizens and strengthening our economy. (For a sense of what that camp … Continue reading “Can American Higher Education Be Restored?”

Did You Know? Administrative Expenditures in the UNC System Keep Climbing

Aug 22, 2019 · · No Comments on Did You Know? Administrative Expenditures in the UNC System Keep Climbing

Expenditures for institutional support in the UNC system have increased significantly: from $2,217 per student in 2006 to $4,069 per student in 2017. Adjusted for inflation, that’s nearly 50 percent growth in just 11 years. According to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, “institutional support” expenditures include: [E]xpenses for general administrative services, central executive-level activities … Continue reading “Did You Know? Administrative Expenditures in the UNC System Keep Climbing”

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”

What Can Other Universities Learn from Purdue’s Tuition Freeze?

Jul 26, 2019 · · No Comments on What Can Other Universities Learn from Purdue’s Tuition Freeze?

Tuition freezes are gaining popularity across the country. Earlier this year, university systems in Virginia and Pennsylvania announced that tuition would not rise in the next academic year, saving students and parents millions of dollars. Purdue University started the tuition-freeze trend in 2013. Under the leadership of its president, Mitch Daniels, Purdue instituted a freeze … Continue reading “What Can Other Universities Learn from Purdue’s Tuition Freeze?”

Did You Know? The Mega-wealth Tucked Away in Endowments

Jul 25, 2019 · · No Comments on Did You Know? The Mega-wealth Tucked Away in Endowments

Collectively, the endowments of 15 Massachusetts colleges in 2017 were $70 billion, greater than the GDP of Lithuania. And Massachusetts isn’t alone—the endowments of 15 California colleges totaled $55 billion, and 10 Texas colleges trailed not far behind at $52 billion. Those institutions, as well as others in the chart above, comprise part of an … Continue reading “Did You Know? The Mega-wealth Tucked Away in Endowments”

What Do North Carolinians Think About Student Debt?

Jul 22, 2019 · · No Comments on What Do North Carolinians Think About Student Debt?

Student loan debt has reached the dizzying level of nearly $1.6 trillion—largely due to ever-soaring tuition prices and students taking on financial burdens that far outweigh their earning potential. The issue has gripped national attention to the point that presidential hopefuls are now promising various forms of student debt relief as a central campaign platform. … Continue reading “What Do North Carolinians Think About Student Debt?”

‘Baby Bonds’ Would Skyrocket College Costs, Bilk Taxpayers for Billions

Jul 3, 2019 · · No Comments on ‘Baby Bonds’ Would Skyrocket College Costs, Bilk Taxpayers for Billions

For too many politicians and presidential hopefuls, a free college education is a cure-all for inequality in America—so long as the federal government can pour enough money into it. Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), for instance, has opted to make “baby bonds” the centerpiece of his campaign. Under this policy, fleshed out in … Continue reading “‘Baby Bonds’ Would Skyrocket College Costs, Bilk Taxpayers for Billions”

The Oberlin Case Gives College Leaders a Teachable Moment

Jun 21, 2019 · · No Comments on The Oberlin Case Gives College Leaders a Teachable Moment

When college officials violate people’s rights, they run the risk of bringing on lawsuits that can cost their schools a lot of money.  The most common instance has been hyper-aggressive Title IX actions where the accused student was presumed guilty and railroaded into suspension or expulsion and later successfully sued over the violation of his … Continue reading “The Oberlin Case Gives College Leaders a Teachable Moment”

Administrative Bloat: Where Does It Come From and What Is It Doing?

Jun 19, 2019 · · No Comments on Administrative Bloat: Where Does It Come From and What Is It Doing?

Philip Hamburger recently published a piece in the Wall Street Journal arguing that Congress should control administrative bloat by limiting student loan funds given to colleges with too many administrators. He is dead right about the vast increase in non-faculty bureaucracy in recent decades and the need to reduce it. But the sources of the … Continue reading “Administrative Bloat: Where Does It Come From and What Is It Doing?”