Students shouldering bigger college burden

by: Jason Springer

Fri Jan 16, 2009 at 04:00:00 PM EST

It's getting harder and harder to afford an education if you're a student:

Students attending New Jersey public colleges are now paying as much as 65 percent of the cost of their education after state aid dwindled during the past four years.

You can view the whole report here. It's not surprising that students are carrying more of the load, but the burden of debt they will be walking out of school with can be staggering.

The report notes that students are spending more, and arguably getting less, as less money is spent in the classroom and slightly more is being spent on administration and support services. As colleges also work to provide more scholarships and financial aid, it is often the students themselves who are subsidizing those funds through higher tuition and fees.

And they're paying those higher tuition fees with more difficult to secure loans.

"The privatization of higher education has most benefited those (colleges) with a research mission which have multiple revenue sources and the most endowments," Wellman said. "Students are spending more and arguably getting less as less money is put into the classroom. There is a slow erosion of funding to instruction."
She said the colleges cannot solve the financing issue on their own, and there must also be recognition of the role of lawmakers in the process.
"State spending on higher education has been on a glide path for 20 years," she said. She said New Jersey has a reputation for spending large amounts on kindergarten through twelfth-grade education, but far less on higher education. As a result, students are paying a higher proportion of their college costs.

I wouldn't expect much more assistance from aid in the upcoming budget, given the situation we are facing. We already had an "F" for affordability. With the tanking economy, endowments have also experienced huge losses for universities across the country. The Assembly Higher education committee yesterday cleared legislation to overhaul the structure and management of universities was released:

To implement the SCI's recommendations for effective state oversight of public higher education, the measure would reestablish a cabinet-level position responsible for the oversight the state's public higher education network, the first such post since the former state Department of Higher Education was disbanded in 1994. The new Secretary of Higher Education also would serve as executive director of the Commission on Higher Education, which would see its own membership increase from 11 to 15.

We'll have to see where this legislation goes and if it really helps solve the problem if passed. Senator Sweeney wants to see colleges and universities get a piece of the bailout to help relieve pressure. Unless changes are made, the cost increases will continue falling on the backs of the students. That's going to keep making higher education a much heavier lift.

Jason Springer :: Students shouldering bigger college burden

Tags: Joe Cryan, higher education, School Funding, Steve Sweeney, Universities, college, students, (All Tags)

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Students shouldering bigger college burden | 2 comments

I don't think (4.00 / 1)

adding yet another bureaucrat is going to help anything. It's simple - provide funding for students. If grants make people naseous, then require public service in return for it.

by: Thurman Hart @ Sat Jan 17, 2009 at 03:43:07 AM UTC

Cost of college (0.00 / 0)

The solution to this problem is to engage 21st century marketing techniques and apply them to education. Andrew Jackson University is using a series of network marketing partners that have allowed the University to create the Sponsored Tuition program. Applicants to the University enroll through one of the partner sites and get access to a zero tuition plan. There is mandatory fee structure, but without tuition, the total cost per semester has been driven below $500 - and without any government subsidies.

Andrew Jackson University maintains institutional accreditation through the Distance Education and Training Council. (www.detc.org) The DETC is the only accrediting association approved by the US Department of Education solely for the purpose of accrediting distance institutions. AJU is a Title IV eligible school, but is not participating, which also eliminates another significant cost factor.

For more information go to www.sponsoredtuition.com

by: ajupresident @ Mon Jan 19, 2009 at 00:33:46 AM UTC