Three university presidents discuss the financial crisis in higher education and how it is blurring the differentiation between public and private institutions. (HS)

Author criticizes Maryland's $2.5 million in scholarships awarded exclusively by state senators to their constituents. (HS)

If the private sector of higher education is to survive, it must cooperate with the public sector in order to receive state aid. (HS)

Discusses why the current economic downturn for public institutions requires that policy makers respond with new financing policies that reflect the simultaneous convergence of state deficits, changing demographics, and the information economy's voracious demand for a more educated workforce. Presents strategies for states to behave as investors…

This article brings attention to decision-making in the world of state financing for higher education. It reflects on the origin of this field and the system builders in the 1960s and 1970s, who needed to figure out rational ways to both justify funding requests to the state and distribute resources among institutions. The article highlights one…

Should Massachusetts taxpayers subsidize the cost of building and maintaining the University of Massachusetts, when Boston University and other private institutions are facing severe financial problems? (Author)

There is an implicit general plan currently uniting federal and state financing policies, however, it is inefficient, inequitable, and ineffective, involving obsolete state financing policies and mistaken federal responses. Implementation of another plan available would require federal intervention in state financing policies. (MLW)

State-level influences on community colleges are becoming more and more pronounced (greater state financial support, more state coordination in all higher education, general politicization of higher education) and its consequences are enumerated in this article (role changes, state instructional planning). (Author/PG)

Spurred to action by Governor Thomas H. Kean, New Jersey recently instituted a system of financial incentives for colleges and universities that propose innovative improvements in undergraduate education. An interview with the governor conducted by Frank Newman, the president of the Education Commission of the States, is presented. (MLW)

Tightening State budgets, political ambitions and academic frustrations have marked the decline of public higher education in California. (Editor)

Student vouchers for higher education may have some positive impact on efficiency and equity in the operations of higher education, but the overall effects will not be changed since the uneven nature of government financing will not alter our social, political and economic environments. (Author/PG)

Basic public funding for American colleges and universities has developed historically as a state function. The reasons for that approach have disappeared and the federal government must recognize its responsibility for the support of higher education. (MLW)

In a reaction to an article by Chester E. Finn, Jr., it is contended that federal dollars have provided the essential margin that makes for quality and gives institutions more independence. Loss of federal dollars would not be taken up by the states or the private sector. (MLW)

Ronald Reagan's effect on higher education as governor of California and what effect he might have on U.S. colleges and universities if elected president are described. Three points are discussed: deep conservatism of Reagan, his passivity, and Reagan's relative disinterest in higher education. (MLW)

The experiences of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education are described, including its establishment in 1965, its abolishment in 1976, and reconsideration by the state legislature in 1977. Political and financial problems are noted. (LBH)