States Are Still Funding Higher Education Below Pre-Recession Levels. Michael Mitchell, Vincent Palacios, and Michael Leachman – May 1, 2014

“Most states have begun in the past year to restore some of the cuts they made to higher education funding after the recession hit.  Eight states, though, are still cutting, and in almost all states — including those that are have boosted their support — higher education funding remains well below pre-recession levels.  The large funding cuts have led to both steep tuition increases and spending cuts that may diminish the quality of education available to students at a time when a highly educated workforce is more crucial than ever to the nation’s economic future…Deep state funding cuts have major consequences for public colleges and universities.  States (and to a lesser extent localities) provide 53 percent of the revenue that can be used to support instruction at these schools. When this funding is cut, colleges and universities generally must either cut educational or other services, raise tuition to cover the gap, or both.”