Fiscal Challenges for Higher Education
Introduction: Fiscal challenges facing both the public and private sector call for a rethinking of previously acceptable methods of accomplishing organizational goals. ... Public education and social services have historically operated under some of the most adverse fiscal constraints. Higher education, as much a part of the American dream as the home with a picket fence, now staggers under the weight of increased operating and facilities costs. “Education is the established church of the United States. ... ” This paper searches for policy solutions for confronting and correcting fiscal challenges facing institutions of higher education. ... It can be argued that in America, any individual inclined to pursue a college education, who is capable of academic success, can now fulfill that goal. It behooves administrators of public higher education to look ahead to enable those doors to remain open so that no ground be lost in the evolution of a better educated, reasoning population. “Education costs money, but then so does ignorance. ... Measurement and Formal Hypotheses: The research question is whether increases in tuition have enabled students to continue their education at the institution of their choice, and whether these increases have allowed institutions to better facilitate the delivery of a quality education which we will define as adequate class offerings, faculty retention, and improved institutional resources. ... Independent Variable: Tuition Increases Delivery of a college degree through a public education institution is not primarily considered a market driven commodity. ... Based on research by Arturo Perez the fiscal condition of the 50 states and the District of Columbia can be categorized as follows: State of the States Budgets in Fiscal Year 2203 BUDGET GAPS 0. ... State Year-End Balances As a Percentage of General fund Expenditures FY 1978-FY 2003 projected This economic crisis has resulted in cuts to higher education almost without exception among states facing significant budget gaps. ... McKeon (R-CA) who has proposed the College Affordability in Higher Education Act. McKeon said, “this act’s principal goal is to increase higher education access by maintaining affordability, primarily by creating a college affordability index that, if breached, would lead to various sanctions for noncompliant schools, including loss of aid eligibility.” The essence of all this is that tuition increases beyond twice the rate of inflation would have to be presented to the Department of Education with a statement of explanation and an accompanying plan to hold down future increases. President David Ward of The American Council on Education responded with this statement.