Higher Education Nationally Hurt by Fiscal Crisis

The fiscal challenges from the past few years took a big bite out of state and local spending on higher education. According to a report from State Higher Education Executive Officers, state and local support for higher education totaled $83.7 billion nationwide, down from $88.9 billion in 2008. But while $4.8 billion in federal stimulus funding brought total support in 2010 up to $88.5 billion, it was not enough to keep pace with enrollment, which increased 11% from 2008 to 2010. To make up the difference, colleges and universities turned to tuition. Between 2009 and 2010, net tuition per FTE rose nearly 5%.