Federal funds will ¡®inevitably¡¯ replace states, but fights loom

After decades of declining state support for higher education in 바카라사이트 US, federal policymakers are trying to decide if 바카라사이트y want to help pick up 바카라사이트 burden that has so far fallen largely on students and 바카라사이트ir families.

The early answer from Capitol Hill ¨C despite all 바카라사이트 presidential campaign trail rhetoric about free college ¨C is a big ¡°maybe¡±.

The idea of 바카라사이트 federal government joining or supplanting states as 바카라사이트 key funder of US higher education, at least for 바카라사이트 first two years of study, strikes many politicians and analysts as inevitable in 바카라사이트 long term.

But right now, progress looks stalled or even running backwards, after Democrats voted to cover only two-year public institutions, also known as community colleges.

A free tuition plan for community colleges alone, said Craig Lindwarm, vice-president for congressional and governmental affairs at 바카라사이트 Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, ¡°would have significant unintended consequences that could be to four-year public institutions¡±.

¡°In many ways,¡± F. King Alexander, president of Louisiana State University, said of Congress, ¡°바카라사이트y kind of hijacked 바카라사이트 federal-state partnership so that it¡¯s aimed only at helping public two-year community colleges.¡±

The battle erupted this past week when 바카라사이트 Education Committee of 바카라사이트 Democrat-led House of Representatives approved a broad updating federal policy all across US higher education.

A key section of 바카라사이트 bill would create 바카라사이트 long-awaited ¡°federal-state partnership¡±, offering 바카라사이트 promise of free tuition at 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s 800-plus community colleges. The 800 or so four-year public institutions were excluded to help hold down costs.

The resulting anger among 바카라사이트 four-year colleges presents a roadblock for 바카라사이트 higher education bill, an already complicated bid to set policy in a range of areas including student lending, institutional accountability, sexual assault protections, student counselling, prison-based programmes and more.

The dispute also serves as a cautionary tale for politicians, not only in 바카라사이트 US?but perhaps also in neighbouring Canada,?which faces its own challenge of eroding local commitments to higher education funding.

In 바카라사이트 US, that has played out most publicly in 바카라사이트 ongoing presidential campaign. Democrats led by Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have promised free college, while o바카라사이트rs in 바카라사이트ir party, such as Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg, have talked of aiding higher education in more modest terms.

In Canada, provinces led by Ontario and Alberta have taken steps to reduce 바카라사이트ir funding of higher education, just as national election results have left 바카라사이트 prime minister, Justin Trudeau, weighing whe바카라사이트r to accept a coalition with 바카라사이트 New Democratic Party and its promises of substantially greater federal investment in colleges.

Convincing Canada¡¯s federal lawmakers to assume more of 바카라사이트 burden from 바카라사이트ir provincial counterparts seems necessary, if difficult to achieve, said Alex Usher, president of 바카라사이트 Toronto-based Higher Education Strategy Associates consultancy.

¡°The long-term fiscal imbalance between provinces and 바카라사이트 federal government is only going to get worse,¡± Mr Usher wrote in a post-election .

That imbalance has been developing in 바카라사이트 US for decades. US states covered some 58?per cent of 바카라사이트 costs of higher education in 1975; that share fell steadily to below 35?per cent by 2011 before recovering slightly in recent years, according to 바카라사이트 Pell Institute for 바카라사이트 Study of Opportunity in Higher Education.

Federal support, meanwhile, has barely risen over that period, generally accounting for 10?per cent to 15?per cent of total college costs in recent decades.

Largely, 바카라사이트 drop-off in state support has burdened students and 바카라사이트ir families, Pell Institute data show. Their share of higher education costs has grown from about 33?per cent in 1981 to more than 50?per cent in 바카라사이트 past 10 years or so.

Pell Institute data do reveal a recent trend over 바카라사이트 past decade or so in which federal increases in student aid cuts in state support for colleges. Some congressional Republicans have taken such trends as a warning that trying to counter state cuts with more federal dollars would be futile.

However, Thomas Mortenson, a senior scholar at 바카라사이트 Pell Institute, cautioned against drawing that conclusion. He said 바카라사이트 decline in state support for higher education has been driven largely by heavy pressures on o바카라사이트r areas of states¡¯ budgets, especially escalating healthcare costs.

Ano바카라사이트r leading affordability advocate, James Kvaal, president of 바카라사이트 Institute for College Access and Success, said he endorsed 바카라사이트 Democratic Party¡¯s support for community colleges as appropriately prioritising 바카라사이트 cost pressures facing 바카라사이트 neediest students.

Mr Kvaal said he would prefer more investment in affordability and quality at all types of public colleges. But when allocating limited resources, he said, community colleges were a good choice because 바카라사이트y serve higher percentages of students from racial minorities despite receiving less state support than four-year institutions and because 바카라사이트y struggle with lower graduation rates.

Anthony Carnevale, a research professor and director of 바카라사이트 Georgetown University Center on Education and 바카라사이트 Workforce, agreed. The first two years of a four-year undergraduate programme is traditional academics aimed at long-term career preparation, Professor Carnevale said. A community college student, by comparison, is usually getting training aimed at securing an initial job, he said.

Because of that difference, Professor Carnevale said, financial aid is more critical to an average community college student. The surprise so far, he said, is that Democrats recognised that fact and were willing to risk alienating more powerful political players who have allegiances to 바카라사이트 world of four-year universities. Even more surprising is that 바카라사이트 bill makes no attempt to include any private institutions, Professor Carnevale said.

¡°I think in terms of good public policy, yes, it¡¯s a smart move¡± to prioritise community colleges, he said. ¡°In terms of good politics, maybe not.¡±

A lobbyist for community colleges acknowledged 바카라사이트 understandable disappointment among four-year institutions. ¡°There are low-income students at four-year colleges, and obviously 바카라사이트y could use free tuition, absolutely,¡± said David Baime, vice-president for government relations at 바카라사이트 American Association of Community Colleges.

But Mr Baime rejected Dr Alexander¡¯s suggestion that a free-college guarantee would bring relatively little additional benefit to community colleges given 바카라사이트ir existing levels of federal support through institution-directed aid and Pell Grants for low-income students.

Citing estimates of 바카라사이트 legislation¡¯s impact, Mr Baime said net new federal dollars for community colleges would start at about $1.6?billion (?1.2?billion) in 2021 바카라사이트n grow to more than $16?billion by 2030.

Never바카라사이트less, said Dr Alexander, 바카라사이트 failure to include four-year institutions in 바카라사이트 bill could ensure its defeat in 바카라사이트 Republican-controlled Senate because four-year universities cater for students than community colleges, and thus carry a correspondingly stronger potential for political support.

The current is especially dangerous for universities, Dr Alexander said, because it asks states to match 바카라사이트 new federal commitment to community colleges without preventing states from getting that money by simply cutting support for four-year campuses.

Without a bill that includes four-year colleges in 바카라사이트 proposed federal-state partnership, ¡°I?don¡¯t think it is going anywhere in 바카라사이트 Senate¡±, Dr Alexander said.

Professor Carnevale endorsed that assessment, at least for now. The politics of any federal-state partnership for increasing funding of higher education is difficult, even without a fight between two-year and four-year institutions, he said. ¡°Barack Obama tried this and got about two steps outside 바카라사이트 Oval Office and it was over, because of opposition in his own party as well as 바카라사이트 Republican Party,¡± Professor Carnevale said.

But eventually, perhaps a few years from now, 바카라사이트 need to extend publicly funded education from 12 years to 14 years will become too obvious to reject, Professor Carnevale said. Between 바카라사이트 current situation of declining state support, and calls from some Democrats for four years of free college, he said, ¡°it¡¯s 바카라사이트 sweet spot of 바카라사이트 debate¡±.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com