Iowa is trending this way. Since 2000 the state share of the education budget per pupil has remained flat while the growth in cost per pupil has been about 4%/yr. Now the split is about 50/50 (state support and tuition).
If I could get back my prorated share which I have paid in state taxes, I would be in favor of going to non-subsidized education. Since I have been paying into the system for 25 years, I am less inclined to be in favor now that my kids are reaching college age.
You’ll love this. I work at one of the state universities.
Funds basically come from 3 sources: tuition, grants and the state subsidy.
If you take a department like chemistry, the amount in subsidy is more than the amount from grants.
Meaning, the university is spending $2 to get $1 back in grants.
They see dollar signs in these half-million or more grants, but they’re losing money on the deal. The state really needs to audit the universities.