Minding the Campus
One of the key stories in higher education finance is so-called “state disinvestment,” which alleges that states have made relentless cuts to college and university funding. But state disinvestment is a myth—states have not, in fact, disinvested in higher education.
Disinvestment implies a downward slope, yet the slope of the line is clearly upward, meaning that states have actually increased funding for colleges and universities over time (by $22 to $59 per student per year). In fact, in 2022 (the most recent year with data), state funding was the highest ever recorded. Needless to say, setting funding records is inconsistent with a story of decades-long state disinvestment.
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