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Higher Education2022-09-03T00:15:24+00:00

Higher Education

With state budgets under pressure and higher education being one of the biggest discretionary items on those budgets, public post secondary institutions likely will need to find new ways to fund their operations. Our higher education analyses and fiscal modeling pressure-test common assumptions about cost savings and cost-benefit tradeoffs. We put real numbers to policies such as those that enable students to earn college credit in high school; promote enrollment of out-of-state students to boost revenue; or permit students to earn more credits than they need to graduate from public universities.

Relevant Resources

A free college plan that pays for itself

In this op ed published by The Hill, Marguerite Roza proposes a way for the federal government to pay for college without boosting federal debt or burdening taxpayers.

College credit in high school: Doing the math on costs

Many policymakers see providing college credit in high school as a money saver, but little research has examined that belief. This brief helps fill the gap, investigating in three states the costs of taking college classes in high school compared to attaining credit after high school.

Are public universities neglecting in-state students?

Marguerite Roza responds to an online “Room for Debate” conversation hosted by the New York Times, arguing that chasing after nonresident students threatens the very nature of public universities as institutions that serve the state.

The High Price of Excess Credits

This brief examines the cost of extra credits earned by students in California, Georgia, and New York, and opportunities for state and university leaders to maximize degree attainment with constrained resources.

More Students, More Degrees, More Dollars

Cuts to state support for higher education have prompted some universities to raise tuition, admit more out-of-state students, and increase enrollment to close budget gaps. This analysis compares these three strategies in public flagship universities, first in terms of the relative magnitude needed to close a gap in state funds, and then in terms of the extent to which they contribute to degree production for students in their state.