This report, "State Tuition, Fees, and Financial Assistance Policies for Public Colleges and Universities: 2010-11", examines the philosophies, policies, and procedures that influence decision-making regarding public college and university tuition, student fees, and student financial aid programs. This report also provides information related to general higher education affordability issues. The intent of this report is not to provide actual tuition costs, but to focus on the policies that establish those tuition, fees, and aid amounts. Other sources, including the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board, the College Board, and the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS data, make tuition rates and revenue publicly available. This report is the seventh in a series of updates by State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) on this topic. The "2010-11 State Tuition, Fees, and Financial Assistance Policies" survey was administered in late summer 2010 by the national association of SHEEO. State fiscal officers from each state were invited to respond to the survey. Forty-six responses from 45 states were received. This report provides a summary of the survey responses. Michigan and New Jersey both responded that they would not be participating in this round of the survey due to ongoing policy conversations in their state. Nevada, Rhode Island, and Washington did not respond. While reviewing the report, it is important to be mindful that there are nuances of the policy process that are impossible to capture in any single survey or report. The survey responses do not fully reflect the development of the policy process over time, the intensive behind the scenes work of institutional, state agency, and legislative staff, or the hours of public discourse that go hand in hand in setting tuition, student fees, and financial assistance levels in each state. The responses broadly highlight state policies (both formal and informal), similarities and differences across the states, and how environmental factors might influence changes in these policies. The survey responses also delineate the entities that have a formal role in tuition, student fees, and financial aid policies. Appended are: (1) List of Data Providers; and (2) State Tuition, Fees, and Financial Assistance Policies 2010-2011 Survey Instrument. (Contains 13 tables and 3 footnotes.).

Sponsored by the Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP), this groundbreaking new handbook assembles in one place the existing research-based knowledge in education finance and policy, thereby helping to define this evolving field of research and practice. It provides a readily available resource for anyone seriously involved in education finance and policy in the United States and around the world. The Handbook traces the evolution of the field from its initial focus on school inputs and the revenue sources used to finance these inputs to a focus on educational outcomes and the larger policies used to achieve them. It shows how the current decision-making context in school finance inevitably interacts with those of governance, accountability, equity, privatization, and other areas of education policy. Because a full understanding of the important contemporary issues requires input from a variety of perspectives, the Handbook draws on contributors from a variety of disciplines. While many of the chapters cover complex state-of-the-art empirical research, the authors explain key concepts in language that non-specialists can understand.

America’s public universities educate 80% of our nation’s college students. But in the wake of rising demands on state treasuries, changing demographics, growing income inequality, and legislative indifference, many of these institutions have fallen into decline. Tuition costs have skyrocketed, class sizes have gone up, the number of courses offered has gone down, and the overall quality of education has decreased significantly. Here James C. Garland draws on more than thirty years of experience as a professor, administrator, and university president to argue that a new compact between state government and public universities is needed to make these schools more affordable and financially secure. Saving Alma Mater challenges a change-resistant culture in academia that places too low a premium on efficiency and productivity. Seeing a crisis of campus leadership, Garland takes state legislators to task for perpetuating the decay of their public university systems and calls for reforms in the way university presidents and governing boards are selected. He concludes that the era is long past when state appropriations can enable public universities to keep their fees low and affordable. Saving Alma Mater thus calls for the partial deregulation of public universities and a phase-out of their state appropriations. Garland’s plan would tie university revenues to their performance and exploit the competitive pressures of the academic marketplace to control costs, rein in tuition, and make schools more responsive to student needs. A much-needed blueprint for reform based on Garland’s real-life successes as the head of Miami University of Ohio, Saving Alma Mater will be essential for anyone concerned with the costs and quality of higher education in America today.

A college education has been the key to higher real wages and living standards. But as college enrollment has increased, so has the difficulty in paying for higher education.

Public Policy and Higher Education provides readers with new ways to analyze complex state policies and offers the tools to examine how policies affect students’ access and success in college. Rather than arguing for a single approach, the authors examine how policymakers and higher education administrators can work to inform and influence change within systems of higher education using research-based evidence along with consideration of political and historical values and beliefs. Raising new questions and examining recent developments, this updated edition is an invaluable resource for graduate students, administrators, policymakers, and researchers who seek to learn more about the crucial contexts underlying policy decisions and college access. Special Features: Case Studies—allow readers to examine strategies used by different types of colleges to improve access and retention. Reflective Exercises—encourage readers to discuss state and campus context for policy decisions and to think about the strategies used in a state or institution. Approachable Explanations—unpack complex public policies and financial strategies for readers who seek understanding of public policy in higher education. Research-Based Recommendations—explore how policymakers, higher education administrators, and faculty can work together to improve quality, diversity, and financial stewardship. New epilogues and a revised Part III—reexamine themes and encourage critical thinking about inequality and policy change