Colleges across the nation are aggregately experiencing decreases in federal budget money for instruction. These figures are met by increased spending on administrative costs, according to an article in The New York Times.
These figures are taken from a recent study from colleges’ and universities’ reports to the federal government.
“Students are paying more, and a greater share of the costs, but are arguably getting less,” Jane Wellman, the executive director of the Delta Project on Postsecondary Education Costs, Productivity and Accountability, told The New York Times.
The Delta Project aims to maintain the quality of education, while still keeping the cost affordable performed this study on the costs of college. The study discovered that college tuition has risen significantly, but universities claim that tuition does not cover much of what it actually costs for education. However, the study also found that students are paying for a much larger portion of their tuition, according to The New York Times.
In 2006, students paid for about 50% of their education and some other fees, which has risen from 40% in 2002. These figures are for public institutions and research universities.
Budgets for instructors affiliated with private and public institutions have decreased. Budgets for public research institutions have decreased from 64.4% to 63% from 1995 to 2006, and they have decreased from 52.8% to 50.2% for public universities.
Budgets going to instructors at private research institutions have had the biggest impact. They have decreased from 62.3% in 1996 to 57.9% in 2006, according to The New York Times.
However, the percentages spent on administration and support have increased.
Tuition has risen at faster than spending.
“We see the picture ahead being more of the same, but dramatically more of the same,” Wellman told The New York Times.
