November 2, 2010
APLU Releases Regional Meetings Report
In advance of the 123rd annual meeting in Dallas on November 14, The Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) has released the final report resulting from five regional meetings to discuss key concerns about the future of public research universities, one of which took place at UW Seattle on April 26, 2010. The report,…
October 29, 2010
Financial Aid Rises Alongside College Prices
The College Board released its 2010 Trends in College Pricing report this week. The report made a large public splash amidst heightened concern about college prices during the economic crisis. The report’s data and conclusions were presented and dissected from many different perspectives, including: The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post,…
October 28, 2010
New Federal Higher Ed Regulations Published Today
Having weighed tens of thousands of public comments, the US Department of Education released today a final set of regulations governing various aspects of higher education. While primarily aimed at what are widely seen as abuses within the for-profit higher education system, the regulations apply to all institutions and are driven by the federal government’s…
October 27, 2010
Berkeley Report Provides Roadmap for ‘Smart Growth’ in Higher Ed
John Aubrey Douglass of UC Berkeley’s Center for Studies in Higher Education has issued a new report on the current status of higher education, and potential paths for growth and change into the future. In Re-Imagining California Higher Education, Douglass argues that the existing model for higher education in California (here representative of higher education…
October 25, 2010
UW Enrollment at All-Time High
At this month’s meeting, the Board of Regents was given a presentation detailing student enrollment to provide a sense of the size and scope of the UW’s instructional enterprise. Highlights from this presentation are below. All enrollments In Fall 2010, 49,940 students were enrolled; this represents a 21 percent increase over the Fall 2000 enrollment…
October 21, 2010
New Book Places College Cost Debate in Larger Context
Two economists at the College of William and Mary have published a new book called ‘Why Does College Cost So Much?‘ In a co-authored op-ed published by Inside Higher Ed, Archibald and Feldman explain that their book is an attempt to largely dispel commonly asserted narratives that blame rising college costs on a particular set…
October 19, 2010
Fall 2010 Submissions to the Office of Financial Management (OFM)
UW administration recently submitted four budget exercises to not only close out the current biennium (2009-11), but also to plan for the coming biennium (2011-13). Each submission was required by OFM. Information to make final adjustments to the current, 2009-11 biennium: Before the Legislature starts the process of creating an operating budget for the next…
October 15, 2010
Will Expanded Higher Ed Tax Credit be Made Permanent?
The federal Recovery Act of 2009 included a two year expanded higher education tax credit (based on the existing Hope Tax Credit). The new American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) maxes out at $2,500, can be redeemed for up to four years, is partially refundable (up to 40%), and eligibility does not start to phase out…
October 14, 2010
Britain Rethinks Higher Ed Financing
While some may be expanding public investment in higher education, the US is not alone in wondering how to maintain globally competitive institutions while significantly increasing student access in the face of diminishing public resources. A British panel headed by Lord John Browne released a long anticipated report, Securing a Sustainable Future for Higher Education,…
October 13, 2010
NGA’s Complete to Compete Initiative Gains Traction
The recently announced National Governor’s Association initiative ‘Complete to Compete’ outlines a promising plan to create a national set of performance metrics to enhance accountability and shape funding strategies. The NGA, under the leadership of incoming Chair West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin III, convened a Work Group on Common College Completion Metrics to make recommendations…