Public students take double hit for college funding woes

At San Diego State University, fall "crashing" doesn't mean sneaking into a party. Rather it means attending an already-full class in hopes of winning a seat — and entry into a course needed for graduation. While students always crash popular classes, this year more are rushing to complete requirements so they will graduate in four years.
The reasons behind the limited availability of courses are obvious — and evident on many public university campuses. Bruising state budget cuts to higher-education funding are shrinking class offerings and putting students in a double financial bind. First, they face rising tuitions: 40% this year in California; 15% over two years in Virginia; 40% over three years in Iowa. Then, students closed out of required courses because of limited offerings face the prospect of paying for summer terms or extra semesters.

Already, the average student at a four-year public university graduates with $16,000 in debt. An extra year adds $4,500, excluding lost wages or living expenses. And summer courses can run $150 a credit hour.

Yet too few educators and state legislators take these consequences into consideration. While states have little choice but to balance their budgets — even if it means cutting public education funds — strategies exist that can lessen the likelihood that students will be doubly penalized. Some options include:

• Offering early college credits. This month, Virginia Gov. Mark Warner proposed a plan that would place more advance college credits into the pockets of ambitious high school seniors. Other states are experimenting with similar plans that award high schoolers advance credit for some introductory-level college courses. The programs could produce savings for both universities and students: With fewer students crowding into introductory courses, schools could cut course offerings without stranding students. And students with adequate advance placement credits would have the option of graduating in less than four years.

• Increasing accountability. Colleges remain mostly untouched by the accountability movement that has swept K-12 schools during the past decade. According to a report released this month by a congressional education committee, tuition increases can be avoided. Wasteful spending, not state budget cuts, are the real problems on campus, congressional investigators concluded. Especially wasteful are costly research projects that mostly boost a university's prestige — and tuition — without any direct benefit to students. And state legislators rarely punish colleges for failing to adopt businesslike practices, such as getting multiple bids for services, the report says.

As a result of such inefficiencies, average public university tuition since 1982 has risen at nearly twice the rate of inflation.

Colleges say they are doing everything possible to limit the impact of budget cuts on students. Their actions include freezing salaries, holding vacancies open and delaying major improvements. Their steps, however, don't address the long-term surge in costs for a four-year college education.

The double plight of public college students may be getting so little attention because the problem is new, the solutions are untested, and schools are scrambling to deal with cuts in state funding. But tough times are no excuse for making students bear an excessive share of the financial burden.

Plan better for college
By Richard West

As the country's largest system of higher education, the California State University prides itself on providing access to high-quality, student-focused higher education. This year, the CSU has been challenged by California's budget crisis, enduring a net budget reduction of $304 million, or about 11%, while accommodating a record enrollment of 414,000 students.
Unlike many public universities that have eliminated courses because of budget cuts, however, the CSU has largely preserved its academic offerings, at least for the fall. The CSU campus presidents have done their best to keep reductions from affecting the classroom through prioritizing and careful planning. More than 2,300 vacant positions have been held empty or eliminated; salaries for management employees, including the presidents and CSU chancellor have been frozen; building maintenance and large equipment purchases have been deferred; and many campuses are not accepting students for the spring term, slowing enrollment to provide for those already enrolled. The CSU has kept its focus on preserving quality instruction and ensuring that its enrolled students get the courses they need to make steady progress toward graduation.

Of course, there always will be students who don't get all the classes they want at the exact times they want. The first weeks of school can sometimes become a scramble for those trying to add classes. And scheduling can be difficult for students who have to arrange classes around work schedules.

But in many cases, better advance planning on the part of the students can alleviate the crunch. For instance, although students can register online at many of our 23 campuses, some don't, or they wait until the last minute. And for some students, it is a time-honored ritual to "crash" classes, where getting in is a badge of honor.

Given that the budget outlook continues to be bleak in California and many other states, public university students will need to prepare for another year of possible course reductions and plan accordingly. In the meantime, the CSU will do all it can to serve its students by helping them graduate and spur the state and national economy, so that the picture brightens for everyone.

Richard West is executive vice chancellor and chief financial officer of the California State University system.