Funding for public colleges and universities remains low a decade removed from the Great Recession, according to a recent study.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) found that public funding higher education at two- and four-year colleges is $9 billion less than it was in 2008, when the U.S. financial system collapsed under the weight of bad loans packaged into risky and poorly understood financial products.
The decreases have led to higher tuition and reduced quality as the schools resort to slashing faculty and limiting courses in order to make up the difference, the report says.
The study analyzed 49 states. Of those, 44 spent less per student in 2017 than they did in 2008 — $1,448 less per student, on average.
In eight states — Alabama, Arizona, Illinois, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and South Carolina — spending fell by more than 30 percent.
The consequences hit the poorest the hardest. On average, annual published tuition at four-year public colleges has risen by almost 35 percent, according to the report.
Washington state, despite its dubious reputation in public education, lowered tuition more than any other state, by more than 11 percent.
Ashley Archibald is a Staff Reporter covering local government, policy and equity. Have a story idea? She can be can reached at ashleya (at) realchangenews (dot) org. Twitter @AshleyA_RC
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