intro opportunity for higher education in a perfect storm the inter-ivy, first generation college...

Intro

Opportunity for Higher Educationin a Perfect Storm

The Inter-Ivy, First Generation College Student NetworkBrown University

Providence, Rhode IslandFebruary 28, 2015

Tom MortensonSenior Scholar,

The Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher EducationHigher Education Policy Analyst,

Postsecondary Education OPPORTUNITY

The Perfect Storm

• Reality versus Policy

• Demographics

• Labor Markets

• State Policy Choices

• Federal Policy Choices

• Consequences for (some) students

• Is this class warfare?

The Perfect Storm

Realities:

• Stages of economic development:• Primary: agriculture, natural resources

• Secondary: manufacturing

• Tertiary: human capital

• Dynamic demography• Shrinking white/growing minority populations

• Growing shares of poor children in K-12 and higher education

• Aging population, living longer

• Globalization

The Perfect Storm

Federal policy choices:

• Progressive policy era: 1862 to 1980• 1862: Morrill Land Grant Act

• 1895: Second Morrill Land Grant Act

• 1944: Servicemen’s Readjustment Act

• 1957: National Defense Education Act

• 1965: Higher Education Act

• 1972: Pell Grant program

• 1978: Middle Income Student Assistance Act

• Regressive policy era: 1980 to present• 1981, 1982, 1994: Pell Grant maximum award reduced

• 1987: Federal aid moves away from need-based grants

• Aging population, living longer

The Perfect Storm

State policy choices:

• Progressive policy era: to 1980• Universal K-12 education

• State teachers’ colleges

• Junior colleges

• Need-based grant aid

• Increased funding efforts for higher education

• Regressive policy era: 1980 to present• Cutbacks in state appropriations efforts

• Colleges and universities raise tuition charges to students

• Growth in merit based scholarship programs

The Perfect Storm

Institutional policy choices:

• Progressive policy era: to 1980• Universal K-12 education

• State teachers’ colleges

• Junior colleges

• Need-based grant aid

• Increased funding efforts for higher education

• Regressive policy era: 1980 to present• Enrollment management

• Prestige race (U.S. News)

• Revenue replacement: full pay versus institutional aid, non- residents versus state residents

• Research versus instruction in public 4-year institutions