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Americans Struggling Economically, Worried about Affordable Higher Ed

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That Americans are concerned about the rising price of higher education is not news. However, Public Agenda’s newly released survey results, , shed some new light on how the continuing economic crisis may have heightened those concerns. The telephone survey was administered to a representative sample of 1,004 individuals. Among the results:

  • Respondents were most likely (75+%) to say that people with no college degree, working families, and small business owners were struggling ‘a lot’ (compared to ‘a little’ or ‘not at all’) in this economy, whereas only about half of respondents felt that college graduates were struggling a lot in this economy.聽 Meanwhile, 40% of respondents reported that they themselves were struggling a lot, and, notably, only 10% of respondents felt that those who work on Wall Street were struggling a lot.
  • More than half of respondents (51%) reported that they are very worried about being able to pay for college education for their children, and 27% reported being somewhat worried about being able to afford higher education for their children.
  • When聽 asked how effective particular policy options might be in helping Americans who are struggling financially, making higher education more affordable received the highest positive response (63%). Also ranking highly (above 50%) were preserving social security and medicare, and expanding job training programs.
  • Respondents reported that Governments and individuals are about equally responsible for helping those Americans who are struggling economically.

Given the dominant news coverage focusing on private institutions with the highest sticker prices, it is important to note that 75% of students enrolled in higher education attend public institutions, which carries a much lower net cost of attendance than private institutions.聽 For previous OPBlog posts and briefs on this topic and, in particular, the UW鈥檚 financial aid and funding issues, see:

  • Review of the recent book
  • Review of the College Board’s most recent report
  • Brief on the
  • Brief on

State of the States

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We continue to closely follow the fate of Washington State’s budget, but are also keeping our eyes on what is happening in other states. Below are some resources that you might also find of interest:

Education Week provides as they are made in each state.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) continues to and policy actions as they unfold.

The National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) posts relating to state budgets, including this to the Washington State federal delegation in response to the idea that the Federal Government may be considering .

New OPB Brief on Institutional Autonomy

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The economic outlook for state budgets remains bleak and additional steep cuts to public higher education inevitable, making it imperative to re-imagine how institutions can become more efficient and self-sufficient while remaining effective and accountable to the public. For many institutions greater autonomy from the practices and requirements of state government seems attractive, and this topic is explored in on variations in institutional autonomy among the UW and its peers.

Somber State Budget Update Presented to UW Regents

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Paul Jenny, Vice Provost of Planning & Budgeting, to our Board of Regents last Thursday.聽Paul touched on the upcoming state revenue forecast, the Governor’s cuts to all institutions, and the impact of future state funding cuts on campus.

The Regents expressed many concerns throughout the presentation, but a few points proved especially troubling:

  • If the Governor’s budget is adopted, higher education institutions’ funding would be cut by half, or $500 million since FY 2008.
  • State funding for higher education institutions on a per student full time equivalent (FTE) basis has deteriorated. While the state covered 70% of funding per student FTE in 1991, the Governor’s budget would only cover 30% of needed funding per student FTE.
  • The Governor’s budget proposes 11% tuition rate increases for resident undergraduates, but even with tuition increases factored in from all student categories, the UW would still face a net $91 million reduction in state funding.

As usual, Planning & Budgeting will continue to post budget updates throughout the 2011 Legislative Session on this blog. As we’ve stressed before, the Governor’s budget is the first budget proposal for the upcoming biennium; we have a long session before us and no budget is final at this point.

Are the States Alright?

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You may have read a widely circulated today concerning the possibility of the federal government creating a pathway for states to seek protection in federal bankruptcy court if their debt burdens spiral out of control. Some policymakers think that the severe economic strain created by the Great Recession has revealed deep structural problems in state budgets that may be unfixable without intervention.

However, in , the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities puts current state budget woes in historical perspective, and emphasizes that, while the near-term future for state budgets across the country remains grim, we must exercise caution in conflating the short term problems caused by the recent recession with the very long term structural issues associated with revenue systems and pension plans.

A New Normal?

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In , the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) puts the Great Recession into context and discusses the cyclical nature of state funding for higher education, which has historically followed a pattern of major cuts in poor economic periods followed by generous reinvestment in good times.

Considering the generally of the speed of economic recovery for state budgets, NASBO asserts that this boom and bust funding pattern may finally be broken. Many do not expect state funding for public higher education to return to previous levels, and this has states, institutions, and other stakeholders wondering what a ‘new normal’ may look like.

Many institutions think that at least part of the answer lies in from state processes and requirements, and more flexibility in managing institutional resources. Whatever the outcomes, many are hoping that achieving a more stable and predictable funding model might keep public higher education on solid ground as we move toward an uncertain future.

Economist Emphasizes Continuing Value of College

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Inside Higher Ed has published a long but excellent piece called by Anthony P. Carnevale, Director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.

If you have the time, check out the Center’s from last summer, which projects America’s workforce and educational needs for the coming years.

Another Budget Blow to Public Higher Ed in CA

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Today, newly elected California Governor Jerry Brown released his first . The 2011-12 budget proposes over $12.5 billion in spending cuts and over $12 billion in new revenue generation to close an existing deficit of over $25 billion.

Cuts include 10 percent pay reductions for state workers, cuts to Medi-Cal and Welfare, and, notably, only months after the Legislature approved a that restored some previously cut funding for public institutions.

Specifically, the budget proposes cutting the UC system by $500 million (17%), the CSU system by $500 million (18%), and community colleges by $400 million (6.5%).

UC President that, if enacted, this budget would mean the state’s annual contribution per student would be less than the portion paid by students and their families for the first time in California’s history. We crossed this same threshold in Washington State for the first time in 2009.

Op-Eds Call for Increased Flexibility for Public Higher Ed in WA

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Three op-eds published recently by local newspapers outline the changing relationship between Washington State and its public higher education institutions. All three op-eds call for the state to increase institutional flexibility in the face of large budget cuts.

  • Phyllis Wise, Interim President, UW:
  • George Bridges, President, Whitman College:
  • Amy Kinsel, Instructor, Shoreline Community College:

The Governor will release her initial state budget for the 09-11 biennium this morning. Stay tuned to the and the for information about how higher education and the UW are affected.

Legislature Passes Second Supplemental Budget in Seven Hours on Saturday

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The Washington State Legislature quickly聽passed a second supplemental budget for Fiscal Year 2011 on Saturday, which closed $580 million of the FY11 $1.1 billion deficit. More cutting must be done; we anticipate that this action will occur in a final supplemental budget, which would be adopted in January 2011, likely as the first action of the 2011 legislative session set to begin on Monday, January 10th.

This included reductions to many areas of government but Basic Education, Human Services, and the Department of Social and Health Services were hardest hit. Meanwhile, Higher Education received a revision of October’s across-the-board cuts in order to . While this federal requirement spared individual higher education institutions from major cuts this month, the MOE does not apply to state-funded financial aid programs, and the next round of FY11 cuts will likely include reductions to the State Need Grant.

Please review our for more information and contact us directly with any questions.