page Affordability Apr 19, 2017 Financial aid is critical for students from lower-income families. Students who receive aid are more likely to stay in school and graduate.
page PPIC Higher Education Center Apr 19, 2017 The PPIC Higher Education Center advances practical solutions that enhance educational opportunities for California's students—improving lives and expanding economic growth across the state.
Report Measuring Institutional Costs at California’s Public Universities By Patrick Murphy, Kevin Cook, Talib Jabbar Mar 15, 2017 California has recently increased its investment in higher education after many years of reducing state support. At the same time, the state’s four-year public systems, the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU), are currently poised to raise tuition for the first time in several years. If the past is any indication, intense discussions lie ahead about the need for additional higher education resources. We offer a constructive starting point for those discussions by introducing a straightforward and objective assessment of institutional costs. We rely on a measure that connects institutional costs to the number of degrees UC and CSU produce. This measure provides a clear understanding of trends in California’s institutional costs and allows comparisons with colleges and universities in other states. It also offers higher education institutions the opportunity to demonstrate progress toward their goals in an accessible, transparent way. Applying this measure to California’s public four-year institutions, we find that: Institutional costs per degree across UC and CSU fell significantly—17 percent—from 1987 to 2013. This is an important savings in a state that will need to amp up its number of college graduates to meet future economic demand. At UC, the cost per degree fell 6 percent over the period—from $116,000 to $109,000. UC’s institutional costs in 2013 were lower than a comparison group that included both public and private institutions across the nation. But UC’s costs were higher than a national comparison group of public schools only. At CSU, the cost fell 33 percent—from $67,000 to $45,000. CSU’s 2013 costs were lower than both types of comparison groups—one that included public schools only and one that included both public and private institutions. We recommend that policymakers and higher education leaders use the cost per degree measure as a way to frame higher education finance discussions. It provides a consistent, reliable, and objective measure of institutional costs and performance. For the measure to be most effective, accurate data reporting will be essential. We also recommend the reintroduction of a state-level higher education authority to add validity to the process of gauging institutional performance. Using the measure within a larger framework of agreed-upon goals would go a long way toward improving higher education finance policy in California.
blog post For-Profit Colleges Face an Uncertain Future By Sara Adan Jan 30, 2017 Hundreds of US private for-profit colleges may be forced to close, leaving thousands of California students with difficult decisions.
blog post College Costs Could Rise for Some Students By Jacob Jackson Jan 20, 2017 Middle- and upper-class students will likely pay more for their college degrees under proposals being considered by the legislature, UC, and CSU.
blog post The News on Student Debt Is Not All Bad By Hans Johnson Jan 12, 2017 There are some encouraging and newly emerging trends in student debt, especially in California.
blog post The Promise of a Four-Year Degree in California By Kevin Cook, Jacob Jackson Sep 26, 2016 A law recently signed by Governor Brown aims to help more California State University students graduate on time.
blog post Free University Tuition: How Many California Students Would Benefit? By Jacob Jackson Sep 1, 2016 Hillary Clinton has proposed free university tuition for students whose families earn less than $85,000. How many California students might benefit from such a plan?
blog post The Rise and Fall of Enrollment at For-Profit Colleges By Hans Johnson Jun 28, 2016 For-profit colleges have seen dramatic growth in enrollment in California. But in recent years, this trend has begun to reverse.