Decline in California and National Higher Education Funding Since the Recession

Decline in California and National Higher Education Funding Since the Recession

The Center of Budget and Policy Priorities put together data in a paper on May 1, 2014 analyzing the drop in Higher Education funding during the current recession, from Fiscal Year 2007-8 to FY 2013-14.

Nationwide, the expense per student has fallen $2,026 or 23%. The worst fall was in Arizona which had a drop of 48.5%. California had a drop of 15.8% The only states with increases were Alaska of 3.5%, and North Dakota of 38.6%. The drops in some comparative states to California are:
Massachusetts: – 36.3%
Pennsylvania:    – 30.7%
Florida:               – 29.7%
Texas:                 – 22.5%
Ohio:                   – 21.7%
California:          – 15.8%
Illinois:               – 13.5%
New York:           – 11.1%

The recovery in the last year FY 13-14 had 42 states increase funding per student by an average of 7.2% or $449. California increased its funding by 11.1% for a change of plus $728 per student. However, over the recession FY 08 to FY 14, California had the fourth highest tuition increase of plus 62.4%, or $3,474. The change in state funding per student in California from FY08 – FY14 was a drop of $1,373.

Nationwide, tuition revenue as a percent of “total educational revenue” FY88 – FY13 rose from about 23% to about 47%: this is doubling the percentage tuition plays. However, the income of the median household had stayed flat over this period.

About Dennis SILVERMAN

I am a retired Professor of Physics and Astronomy at U C Irvine. For two decades I have been active in learning about energy and the environment, and in reporting on those topics for a decade. For the last four years I have added science policy. Lately, I have been reporting on the Covid-19 pandemic of our times.
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