What's happening to the `PUBLIC' in PUBLIC EDUCATION? - tuition fee hikes

Black Issues in Higher Education, August 30, 2001 by Page Boinest Melton

State Appropriations as a Percentage of Total
Current-Fund Revenues for Public Degree-Granting
Institutions, by State, 1990-1997

                Institutions of Higher Education(1)

                 1990-91    1993-94     1994-95
United States     37.8        33.3       33.0

Alabama           33.2        30.4       31.8
Alaska            57.7        51.2       50.0
Arizona           37.1        33.2       34.0
Arkansas          38.6        36.4       35.5
California        43.3        32.4       31.6
Colorado          28.6        24.7       24.1
Connecticut       40.8        35.3       39.3
Delaware          29.8        27.3       27.4
Florida           55.6        49.6       50.4
Georgia           46.8        44.6       44.4
Hawaii            61.1        61.1       59.2
Idaho             49.5        43.2       44.3
Illinois          36.4        31.5       31.4
Indiana           35.5        31.0       30.4
Iowa              30.7        29.6       29.4
Kansas            35.9        32.6       32.2
Kentucky          42.6        39.3       37.8
Louisiana         39.1        31.0       31.0
Maine             46.7        40.3       38.4
Maryland          40.7        33.7       33.1
Massachusetts     32.3        37.2       38.2
Michigan          28.5        25.8       25.2
Minnesota         35.8        34.0       32.5
Mississippi       36.4        33.7       37.1
Missouri          37.1        32.1       31.5
Montana           42.7        34.2       30.8
Nebraska          36.6        34.1       32.1
Nevada            48.0        44.9       46.7
New Hampshire     23.4        20.1       20.0
New Jersey        35.4        33.8       33.2
New Mexico        32.5        30.1       30.2
New York          42.6        36.2       37.0
North Carolina    51.0        47.6       47.3
North Dakota      34.4        30.2       31.3
Ohio              32.5        27.0       28.2
Oklahoma          44.2        40.1       40.3
Oregon            27.8        24.0       24.1
Pennsylvania      26.1        23.3       23.1
Rhode Island      38.9        33.4       33.8
South Carolina    38.5        30.2       30.9
South Dakota      41.2        37.7       38.0
Tennessee         40.6        39.1       40.3
Texas             43.7        41.5       39.0
Utah              29.9        27.7       28.1
Vermont           14.6        12.9       12.3
Virginia          30.5        24.3       24.3
Washington        37.9        32.6       30.0
West Virginia     46.7        43.8       43.0
Wisconsin         33.8        31.8       30.8
Wyoming           47.9        43.9       42.8

               Degree-granting Institutions(2)

                 1995-96   1996-97(*)
United States     32.5        32.5

Alabama           30.8        29.3
Alaska            48.0        49.8
Arizona           33.8        33.9
Arkansas          35.3        35.7
California        32.7        32.7
Colorado          24.5        24.7
Connecticut       39.2        38.4
Delaware          21.4        23.7
Florida           50.3        49.9
Georgia           43.6        43.9
Hawaii            50.0        48.4
Idaho             40.9        43.7
Illinois          25.6        29.3
Indiana           34.2        33.8
Iowa              29.1        29.7
Kansas            32.6        32.0
Kentucky          36.7        34.9
Louisiana         30.2        31.9
Maine             38.2        38.3
Maryland          32.2        30.3
Massachusetts     39.6        40.8
Michigan          26.0        25.6
Minnesota         32.3        34.9
Mississippi       38.0        36.7
Missouri          31.9        32.0
Montana           29.3        28.6
Nebraska          31.4        31.3
Nevada            45.4        44.5
New Hampshire     19.2        19.1
New Jersey        32.8        31.8
New Mexico        30.2        32.4
New York          32.1        31.8
North Carolina    46.3        46.7
North Dakota      31.2        32.9
Ohio              29.9        30.4
Oklahoma          38.8        38.7
Oregon            23.4        22.9
Pennsylvania      22.1        21.6
Rhode Island      34.2        35.2
South Carolina    33.0        32.7
South Dakota      35.3        35.6
Tennessee         40.3        39.4
Texas             37.6        36.0
Utah              27.8        27.7
Vermont           12.4        11.9
Virginia          23.3        22.8
Washington        30.1        29.9
West Virginia     43.6        42.4
Wisconsin         30.2        32.6
Wyoming           43.6        43.6

(1) Institutions that were accredited by an agency or association
that was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, or
recognized directly by the Secretary of Education.

(2) Four-year and 2-year degree-granting institutions that were
eligible to participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs.

(*)Preliminary data.

SOURCE: 2000 DIGEST OF EDUCATION STATISTICS, TABLES 334 & 336
(COMPILED BY NATIONAL EDUCATION DATA RESOURCE CENTER)
Rankings of States on Appropriations of State Tax Funds for Operating
Expenses of Higher Education per $1,000 Personal Income, FY 2001

States           Appropriations   Per $1,000 Income
                   ($1,000s)          $     Rank

Mississippi          881,827        14.86     1
New Mexico           568,295        14.27     2
North Dakota         184,631        11.94     3
Wyoming              153,582        11.51     4
North Carolina     2,398,489        11.31     5
Alabama            1,159,193        11.15     6
Nebraska             526,041        11.14     7
Iowa                 851,124        11.05     8
Arkansas             618,127        10.41     9
Kentucky           1,001,625        10.36    10
Utah                 543,691        10.28    11
Alaska               190,573        10.13    12
Hawaii               339,030        10.03    13
West Virginia        387,432         9.86    14
Idaho                298,210         9.77    15
Oklahoma             779,672         9.70    16
Kansas               680,313         9.15    17
South Carolina       880,120         9.11    18
Minnesota          1,349,137         8.67    19
Louisiana            880,064         8.49    20
California         9,017,418         8.40    21
Indiana            1,283,197         7.89    22
Wisconsin          1,170,122         7.75    23
Delaware             185,840         7.67    24
Michigan           2,231,607         7.57    25
Virginia           1,629,776         7.57    26
Washington         1,333,911         7.14    27
Maine                228,917         7.09    28
Georgia            1,600,329         7.01    29
Tennessee          1,039,373         7.01    30
Texas              4,029,799         6.99    31
Oregon               667,236         6.97    32
Montana              141,688         6.96    33
South Dakota         134,803         6.94    34
Arizona              892,621         6.93    35
Ohio               2,206,398         6.89    36
Illinois           2,699,067         6.79    37
Missouri           1,027,548         6.79    38
Maryland           1,174,603         6.67    39
Florida            2,829,525         6.41    40
Pennsylvania       2,005,364         5.62    41
New Jersey         1,670,911         5.51    42
Colorado             743,483         5.40    43
New York           3,452,636         5.34    44
Rhode Island         162,842         5.31    45
Connecticut          710,339         5.28    46
Nevada               316,613         5.26    47
Massachusetts      1,145,029         4.83    48
Vermont               67,753         4.18    49
New Hampshire         98,695         2.45    50
Total             60,568,619
Median                               7.57

SOURCE: GRAPEVINE (CENTER FOR HIGHER EDUCATION
AND EDUCATIONAL FINANCE -- TABLE 5)
Rankings of States on Appropriations of State Tax Funds for
Operating Expenses of Higher Education per Capita, FY 2001

                 Appropriations     Per Capita
States             ($1,000s)        $      Rank

Mississippi          881,827      313.15     1
Nebraska             526,041      308.53     2
North Carolina     2,398,489      308.41     3
New Mexico           568,295      305.53     4
Iowa                 851,124      293.49     5
Wyoming              153,582      292.54     6
Alaska               190,573      291.84     7
Minnesota          1,349,137      279.32     8
North Dakota         184,631      278.90     9
California         9,017,418      277.28    10
Hawaii               339,030      269.71    11
Alabama            1,159,193      260.43    12
Kansas               680,313      254.99    13
Kentucky           1,001,625      250.72    14
Utah                 543,691      246.35    15
Delaware             185,840      241.98    16
Arkansas             618,127      234.94    17
Virginia           1,629,776      232.92    18
Oklahoma             779,672      231.15    19
Michigan           2,231,607      230.56    20
South Carolina       880,120      228.13    21
Washington         1,333,911      227.71    22
Illinois           2,699,067      223.97    23
Maryland           1,174,603      222.67    24
Idaho                298,210      221.39    25
Wisconsin          1,170,122      219.70    26
Connecticut          710,339      216.30    27
Indiana            1,283,197      212.27    28
West Virginia        387,432      210.45    29
New Jersey         1,670,911      204.32    30
Georgia            1,600,329      203.22    31
Louisiana            880,064      198.88    32
Oregon               667,236      196.42    33
Ohio               2,206,398      194.93    34
New York           3,452,636      190.27    35
Texas              4,029,799      187.55    36
Arizona              892,621      186.04    37
Florida            2,829,525      185.75    38
Missouri           1,027,548      185.48    39
Massachusetts      1,145,029      184.71    40
Tennessee          1,039,373      183.73    41
Maine                228,917      181.82    42
Colorado             743,483      178.38    43
South Dakota         134,803      173.49    44
Nevada               316,613      169.22    45
Pennsylvania       2,005,364      164.35    46
Rhode Island         162,842      163.17    47
Montana              141,688      149.15    48
Vermont               67,753      109.81    49
New Hampshire         98,695       80.63    50
Total             60,568,619
Median                            220.54

SOURCE: GRAPEVINE (CENTER FOR HIGHER EDUCATION
AND EDUCATIONAL FINANCE -- TABLE 5)
Median Household Income
(In 2000 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)

                                  Lower    Upper
State                  Estimate   Bound    Bound

United States           41,343    41,213   41,473
West Virginia           28,569    27,541   29,597
Louisiana               31,034    30,130   31,938
$ Mississippi           31,955    30,718   33,193
Arkansas                32,714    31,788   33,640
Kentucky                32,843    31,673   34,013
Montana                 32,896    31,701   34,091
New Mexico              33,096    31,760   34,433
Alabama                 33,193    32,229   34,157
Oklahoma                33,448    32,427   34,469
North Dakota            34,457    33,162   35,752
South Dakota            35,202    34,567   35,837
Tennessee               36,145    35,469   36,822
South Carolina          36,385    35,265   37,505
Maine                   36,400    35,159   37,641
Idaho                   37,117    35,809   38,425
Missouri                37,304    36,700   37,908
Florida                 37,346    36,689   38,003
North Carolina          37,847    36,644   39,050
Nebraska                37,864    36,846   38,882
Wyoming                 38,186    36,059   40,313
Iowa                    38,230    37,133   39,327
Arizona                 38,537    37,413   39,661
Texas                   39,120    38,473   39,767
Oregon                  39,305    37,500   41,110
Vermont                 39,317    38,109   40,525
Ohio                    39,480    38,328   40,632
Pennsylvania            39,562    38,968   40,156
Kansas                  40,438    39,293   41,583
Indiana                 40,566    39,442   41,690
Georgia                 40,827    39,921   41,733
District of Columbia    41,047    39,717   42,377
Wisconsin               42,166    40,496   43,836
Nevada                  42,177    40,464   43,890
Rhode Island            43,185    41,566   44,804
Michigan                43,451    42,616   44,286
New York                43,640    42,960   44,320
Washington              45,310    43,351   47,269
Illinois                45,606    44,618   46,594
Utah                    45,654    43,816   47,492
California              46,499    45,910   47,088
Virginia                46,693    45,533   47,853
Colorado                46,738    43,887   49,589
Delaware                47,629    46,078   49,180
Minnesota               48,623    47,483   49,763
Massachusetts           49,505    48,467   50,543
New Hampshire           49,509    48,074   50,945
Hawaii                  51,046    47,598   54,495
Maryland                52,436    50,930   53,942
Alaska                  52,876    50,498   55,254
Connecticut             53,108    51,747   54,469
New Jersey              54,226    53,221   55,231

SOURCE: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU
Education Funding in the South

Changes in State General Operation Appropriations Per
Full-Time-Equivalent Student, Public Four-Year Colleges
and Universities for the Southern Regional Educational
Board States, 1995 to 2000 (adjusted for inflation)

Ga.       $1,135
Va.       $1,059
Miss.       $669
Okla.       $451
Ark.        $167
N.C.         $26
Ky.         -$58
La.        -$105
Texas      -$128
S.C.       -$131
Md.        -$163
W.Va.      -$234
Fla.       -$349
Ala.       -$906
Tenn.    -$1,303

Note: Table made from bar graph.

SOURCE: SREB FACT BOOK ON HIGHER EDUCATION, 2000-2001
Appropriations of State Tax Funds for Operating Expenses of Higher
Education with Percentages of Change Over the Most Recent Years
(in Thousands of Dollars)

                                            1-yr     2-yr     10-yr
States              FY91         FY01      Change   Change    Change

Alabama           815,623     1,159,193     5.3%    11.7%     42.1%
Alaska            187,892      190,573      8.0%    11.8%      1.4%
Arizona           598,328      892,621      3.1%     6.7%     49.2%
Arkansas          328,904      618,127      2.1%    11.0%     87.9%
California       5,498,886    9,017,418    17.0%    24.4%     64.0%
Colorado          508,758      743,483      3.4%     9.0%     46.1%
Connecticut       522,573      710,339      2.0%    13.9%     35.9%
Delaware          117,429      185,840      5.8%    13.2%     58.3%
Florida          1,548,285    2,829,525     7.2%    13.1%     82.8%
Georgia           961,283     1,600,329     3.0%     7.9%     66.5%
Hawaii            290,925      339,030     -0.9%     5.2%     16.5%
Idaho             183,997      298,210      6.8%    11.9%     62.1%
Illinois         1,735,316    2,699,067     4.9%    11.9%     55.5%
Indiana           877,136     1,283,197     4.6%    11.8%     46.3%
Iowa              579,777      851,124      3.3%     8.4%     46.8%
Kansas            451,299      680,313      4.7%    12.5%     50.7%
Kentucky          609,228     1,001,625     8.2%    12.7%     64.4%
Louisiana         585,703      880,064     -0.3%     2.4%     50.3%
Maine             172,054      228,917      7.5%    14.9%     33.0%
Maryland          809,926     1,174,603    12.5%    24.6%     45.0%
Massachusetts     697,248     1,145,029    10.1%    17.4%     64.2%
Michigan         1,357,339    2,231,607     7.0%    18.5%     64.4%
Minnesota        1,007,656    1,349,137     4.9%     8.9%     33.9%
Mississippi       398,467      881,827      0.5%    17.4%    121.3%
Missouri          602,146     1,027,548     5.1%    11.7%     70.6%
Montana           116,648      141,688      2.3%     9.1%     21.5%
Nebraska          329,122      526,041     10.7%    19.5%     59.8%
Nevada            163,324      316,613      3.5%     9.0%     93.9%
New Hampshire      72,959       98,695      3.0%     8.3%     35.3%
New Jersey       1,071,239    1,670,911     8.4%    14.9%     56.0%
New Mexico        335,468      568,295      4.4%     9.9%     69.4%
New York         3,180,867    3,452,636     7.6%    11.2%      8.5%
North Carolina   1,484,279    2,398,489     5.6%    11.6%     61.6%
North Dakota      133,860      184,631      0.6%     6.7%     37.9%
Ohio             1,472,920    2,206,398     7.0%    14.1%     49.8%
Oklahoma          499,621      779,672      5.3%     7.5%     56.1%
Oregon            420,047      667,236      1.3%    19.9%     58.8%
Pennsylvania     1,395,732    2,005,364     6.8%    13.1%     43.7%
Rhode Island      115,738      162,842      7.1%    13.8%     40.7%
South Carolina    638,296      880,120      8.3%    13.2%     37.9%
South Dakota       90,618      134,803      3.4%     7.1%     48.8%
Tennessee         711,978     1,039,373     5.5%     8.5%     46.0%
Texas            2,579,342    4,029,799    -1.0%    14.2%     56.2%
Utah              305,233      543,691      6.4%    11.1%     78.1%
Vermont            56,810       67,753      6.9%    14.5%     19.3%
Virginia         1,068,485    1,629,776    10.0%    25.4%     52.5%
Washington        908,129     1,333,911     7.8%    16.4%     46.9%
West Virginia     275,672      387,432      6.8%     6.9%     40.5%
Wisconsin         843,543     1,170,122     8.9%    12.5%     38.7%
Wyoming           124,902      153,582      9.9%     9.9%     23.0%
National Total   39,841,010   60,568,619
Percent Change                              7.0%    14.5%     52.0%

SOURCE: GRAPEVINE (CENTER FOR HIGHER EDUCATION AND EDUCATIONAL
FINANCE -- 50 STATE SUMMARY TABLE)