Long-term state disinvestment in public higher education is one major driver of the rising cost of college and the attendant rise in student debt. For decades, state support for public colleges and universities — which enroll 76 percent of students — has fallen.
To reverse this trend, we urge policymakers to create a new federal-state partnership to invest in equitably funded public colleges. Through this new partnership, the federal government would send significant new funding to states to equip them to better support public institutions, with the goals of increasing educational quality, reducing net costs for students, closing racial and economic equity gaps in degree attainment, stabilizing state funding across economic cycles, and providing evidence-based support and advising programs to help more students complete a degree.
Related Materials
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SHEEO Virtual Webinar
How to Recession-Proof Public Higher Education
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TICAS Letter Outlining How the 117th Congress Can Restore the Promise of Higher Education for All
Letter to the 117th Congress outlining recommendations for closing equity gaps in college attainment, restoring the promise of public higher education, and reducing the burden of student debt.
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New Report Outlines Roadmap to Restore Public College Affordability
TICAS outlines how states and the federal government should work together to increase college affordability — especially for low-income students and underrepresented students of color — and to ensure that the devastating cuts made during the Great Recession are not repeated during the next economic downturn.
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