Even as higher education has become a necessity for jobs, state and federal budget cuts have reduced public funding for need-based student aid, and for public colleges and universities.
The result has been a combination of tuition increases and program reductions, threatening access and affordability across the nation. Historically state funding for higher education tracks the general economy going up in good times, and down in bad times.
Over the past 20 years, however, the proportion of college revenues from state funds has slowly declined, largely because of budget cuts during times of economic recession.
The share of state per capita personal income going to higher education has dropped from $8.50 per $1,000 personal income in 1977, to $7.00 in 2003--roughly a 20 percent drop.
The largest decline occurred between 2001 and 2004, when state educational appropriations per student decreased by 17 percent, or close to $1,000 per student on average.
Tuitions were increased by an average or $500 per student, but were still not enough to make up for state budget cuts.
The result is that total revenues per student declined by nearly 10 percent.
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