Trending to Zero: The Lasting Impact of Total State Disinvestment from Public Higher Education - Thomas Harnisch, Evolllution

Public university privatization has been years in the making. According to the Pell Institute, state funding efforts for public higher education today stand at 55 percent of what they were in 1980. While the presidential campaign—particularly Bernie Sanders’ proposal to make public colleges free—has created some political pressure in the opposite direction, absent a radical realignment of federal and state funding practices, the disinvestment trend is expected to accelerate due to projected growth in other state budget items. While states often increase funding for public higher education during stronger budget cycles, the increases typically do not make up for the cuts from difficult years, and state funding patterns suggest an inexorable downward trajectory. The endgame for state funding is fast approaching in some states. http://evolllution.com/managing-institution/government_legislation/trending-to-zero-the-lasting-impact-of-total-state-disinvestment-from-public-higher-education/