Dive Summary:
- A recent survey by Sallie Mae reveals that spending on colleges by traditional-aged students and their families decreased 13 percent in the last two years.
- The picture painted by the survey's findings isn't as dramatic as it seems, as the drop begins right after a large 2009-2010 spending spike coinciding with the recession, though it still foreshadows financial difficulties for universities.
- The survey is also difficult to mesh with conflicting trends like the increase in spending on higher education, the increase in student loan debt and increasing tuition at public colleges and universities.
From the article:
College administrators are justifiably worried about whether they're going to be able to balance their budgets in a changing economic landscape, and a survey released by Sallie Mae last month didn't do much to put them at ease. ...