Is higher ed's business model broken?

Our state's higher education institutions certainly took some budget hits these past two years as legislators worked out how to fill a multi-billion-dollar budget hole.

Last session, when it was clear state colleges and universities would be on the receiving end of double-digit cuts in state funding, legislators approved a temporary increase in tuition-setting authority to soften the blow.

The end result, however, was that for the first time in our state's history, colleges and universities are now more reliant on tuition revenue than state funding. The significance of such a shift can't be underestimated. Though the prospects of fully restoring funding are dim, legislators are currently discussing various tuition models that might better reflect the cost of higher education and how to pay for it.

But Washington's schools aren't the only ones facing significant declines in state support.

Earlier this week, UW's soon-to-be-ex President Mark Emmert hosted a regional meeting of higher education leaders to talk about future funding for state public research institutions, including the possibility of seeking more federal support.

Then, last night, higher education leaders from throughout the country met for a public debate, largely agreeing that the industry's business model is simply broken, and at a time when we need to boost the numbers of college graduates, we risk staying flat and falling behind other nations that are beefing up higher education investments.

The debate also displayed the sharp divides that have emerged as public schools compete with private schools for students, and two-year colleges compete with four-year universities for funding.

The Chronicle of Higher Education has a great recap of the debate, which will also be posted online. Clearly, tuition issues - in most states - are becoming an increasingly urgent issue in the world of higher education.