Posted on 05/18/2016 10:20:43 AM PDT by MichCapCon
Amid an ongoing national debate about college affordability, one of the largest factors driving costs is the expansion of a spiderweb of academic support services.
Michigan’s 15 state universities incurred a nearly $123 million increase in their spending on academic support services over the past four years, according to a report from the nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency. Spending went from $661.0 million in 2010-11 to $784.4 million in 2014-15, an increase of 18.7 percent in just four years.
Meanwhile, tuition and fees at the institutions rose 16 percent during the same period.
The report defines “academic support services” as activities “related to instruction, research, and public service” — but not those things themselves. In addition to administrative expenses, it includes people who work at university libraries, museums, and galleries; advisors; compensation costs for some deans and more.
The University of Michigan-Flint campus saw the largest percentage increase. Its spending for academic support went up by 48 percent, increasing from $10.6 million in 2010-11 to $15.7 million in 2014-15.
Central Michigan University also saw spending in this category jump 41 percent, increasing from $31.3 million in 2010-11 to $43.9 million in 2014-15. The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor spent the most on academic support in dollar terms in 2014-15, $234.2 million, a 16 percent increase from four years earlier.
Michigan State University also saw a 30 percent increase, going from $130.4 million in 2010-11 to $169.9 million four years later.
Wayne State University was the only state university that did not increase spending in this category over the four-year period covered.
“University costs are going to continue to increase until tuition costs scare away students from attending,” said James Hohman, the assistant director of fiscal policy for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. “Yet the universities are not spending much more on faculty — instead, they’ve beefed up administration and other costs that support the university and its students.”
This is hardly a new problem. A 2003 House Fiscal Agency report on 25 years of higher education costs documented a rising number of noninstructional personnel for each student. The report noted the “development of what is called an administrative ‘lattice.'" It concluded, “Cost efficiencies frequently require revision or dismantling of the ‘lattice.’”
“Why Do College Costs Skyrocket Year After Year?”
Government started the jacked-up prices when they started ‘student loans’.
Because you can’t default on the debt. Duh...
Part of the problem is those who believe nothing is too good for their little darlings. Blend that with government oversight and loan sharking, and there you go.
College tuition? FEEL THE BURN! WHO are the people responsible for this RIPOFF? WHO are the students REALLY angry at and they never stop to think about it? THEY ARE ANGRY AT THEIR OWN LEFTIST RIPOFF ARTISTS WHO ARE RUNNING THE SCHOOLS!!
One major reason is that there is too much financial aid available for students who really should be in a vocational/trade school and have little business being in college.
Even 40 years ago, community colleges and full colleges were having to offer many remedial courses just to bring the entrants up to ‘real’ college level.
I recall in the late 1960s, the state University and other colleges/universities had courses that were known as ‘flunk out’ courses. They were required. They did work by trimming down the number of freshman and sophomore students — by nearly 2/3.
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That depends entirely on what has happened with your salary and also who is paying.
$9k seems high in 1987, but probably includes R&B. $24K is not that high with R&B now.
My tuition was ~1500 per semester/3K per year in 1990 including ~$1K per year for student service BS, now it is ~ $12K.
The kids cost per year is around what I paid total as I went. It would be impossible for them to work part time and pay for it, so in that sense it is much more expensive. The clue light is turning on for them now as they realize the gift I’m giving them to be debt free when they graduate as they see friends screwed with too much debt.
Coaches’ salaries.
..and stupid people sign up and say they will pay it.
The coverage was for foreign students who didn’t have parents obligated to pay obamacare for their kiddos.
Regardless that the states have never delegated to the feds, expressly via the Constitution, the specific power to regulate, tax and spend for INTRAstate schools, I wouldn’t be surprised if constitutionally low-information colleges are taking advantange of unconstitutional, vote-winning federal funding for everything from student loans to climate research. So school fees are probably based on what schools can milk from the feds.
Yes. Yes it is. The 30 year average rate of increase for everything compared to college increases during this time are way out of whack. College increases are much higher rates of increase than the average and that is higher than peoples income increases over those 30 years.
Administrative Overgrowth/sufocation.
If the school does anything tied to title ix, the fedgov controls them completely.
Because colleges raise them. Only rich White students pay full tuition anyway.
I recently retired from a mid-size state university (NH) and I can speak accurately about what is happening on that campus.
1. Explosive growth of new buildings.
The fixed cost of maintenance has grown exponentially over the last 20 years. They get a government grant for part of a new building, but they don’t consider the cost of maintaining all of the new infrastructure.
2. Explosive growth of administration.
There used to be a joke on campus that pretty soon we would have a vice president of vice presidents. It happened. He/She is called the provost. Every dean has lots of associate deans. Each VP has lots of assistants. There are also scores of stupid administrative offices that never existed before.
3. Teaching loads have been cut dramatically.
The average tenured professor teaches four classes per year (two per semester). That amounts to six to eight hours per week in class for 30 weeks per year.
While professors’ salaries have increased beyond inflation over that time, they have lagged behind the increase in student tuition and fees. Additionally, a significant percentage (about a third) have been replaced with a new class of teacher called Instructor. An Instructor is an individual with a one to three year contract, often not renewable, that pays approximately 55% of the wage paid to the average tenure track professor. Another 20-25% of classes are taught by adjuncts, paid on a per class basis. They save about 75% of the salary and benefits of a tenure track professor. Overall, faculty salaries are decreasing as a percent of total costs.
So, it’s the fixed overhead and the increase in administration that are driving up costs. Of course, the growth of each can be traced back to government. Free money for new buildings and government regulations creating new administrative offices are directly responsible for much of the increase.
Because they won’t trim professors salaries. Just keep going up. How but a 20% cut 20% CUT 20% CUT to start with. Did i repeat myself? And screw illegals . They don’t deserve any conceration. Period.
I’ve reviewed Title IX and there’s a major constitutional problem with it imo.
More specifically, note that the only sex-related right that the states have amended the Constitution to expressly protect is voting rights. This is evidenced by the 19th Amendment which expressly gives the feds the power to strengthen voting rights on the basis of sex.
But given that Title IX addresses issues which are clearly outside the scope of voting rights, Title IX is as uncontitutonal as the federal funding that schools receive imo. The post-17th Amendment ratification Senate should never have passed Title IX.
Remember in November !
When patriots elect Trump, they need to support Trump by also electing a new, state sovereignty-respecting Congress that will not only work within its constitutional Article I, Section 8-limited powers to support Trump, but also put a stop to unconstitutional taxing and spending and likewise unconstitutional federal interference in state affairs.
“Congress is not empowered to tax for those purposes which are within the exclusive province of the States.” —Justice John Marshall, Gibbons v. Ogden, 1824.
Note that such a Congress will also probably be willing to fire state sovereignty-ignoring activist justices.
“The coverage was for foreign students who didn’t have parents obligated to pay obamacare for their kiddos.”
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Haha... even better!
Ughhh thought we had enough saved and didn’t for two children. I will not leave them with loans to start out their lives with. Luckily we can handle it but it is out of control...
College is not at all worth it. You are not buying education. Because virtually all of the education is online for free or a very low price. Many schools like MIT put the bulk of their core courses online for free and available to all.
So what you get is an Oak Barrel experience. Your child, like wine, gets 4 years older in the presences of other like kids. Many may raise their standards to the students around them. But that also means that some may lower their standards too (and raise a pint or two as well).
So, its really the resume that matters. If your school is one that does not sway too many people. Go to community college, get as many credits as possible there. And graduate early. While you know your school is harder to get into than some others. The reality is that most people have no idea. So a degree is all you need for virtually any starting level job.
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