Dive Brief:
- Though the percentage increase ranged, 39 states reported allocating more money for higher education in the 2015-16 fiscal year, led by Oregon, with a 16% increase from the prior year.
- The Chronicle of Higher Education reports nine states decreased funding from last year to this year, led by Arizona which cut funding by 14%, increasing its total cut since 2011 to 27%.
- While Illinois and Pennsylvania still have not approved budgets for the fiscal year that started in July, 35 states are spending more on education than they did in 2011, an increase from the 25 states that reported spending less in last year's survey.
Dive Insight:
The annual Grapevine survey from Illinois State University and the State Higher Education Executive Officers represents good news for colleges and universities in many states. That the trendline is moving up, not down, is positive.
However many would argue state investment is not increasing rapidly enough. For years, tuition prices have soared. Students and their families have taken on much of this, causing the nation's total student debt load to surpass $1 trillion.
Colleges and universities have responded with innovative programs and degree options that give students a faster route to a certificate or a degree under more flexible circumstances. With slow growth from state investment, this push for innovation is sure to continue.