Search results for: “College Fees”
-
Keeping Virginia Colleges Accountable
by James A. Bacon At last we have a critical look at Virginia’s system of higher education — not from within the system itself, or even from within Virginia but from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. Kudos do go, however, to the Beazley Foundation of Portsmouth for underwriting the report, “The Diffusion of…
-
The Demographics of College Athletics
I was poking around the National College Athletic Association website looking for a university-by-university breakdown on how much money college athletics lose. I never could find that but I did stumble across a report on ethnicity and college sports. Click here (and scroll to page 12) to view a breakdown of participation in 30 college…
-
Why College Textbooks Cost So Much
While the soaring price of tuition and fees is the primary reason that college education has become so unaffordable, as any parent of a college kid knows, the price of college textbooks has followed close behind. As the Government Accountability Office reports in a newly released study, the cost of textbooks has increased at a…
-
The Bubble of Rising College Attendance
There is a growing sentiment among think tanks and in the blogosphere that the higher ed industry is experiencing a financial “bubble” that cannot long be sustained. I have used this blog for years to document that college tuition and fees long ago detached from the Consumer Price Index and now constitute the most chronically…
-
Why Colleges Grow Fat while Students Starve
The cost of higher education remains unaffordable to so many students because colleges and universities “capture” the benefits of financial aid (federal grants, veterans benefits, state grants and private grants) by increasing tuition and fees, argues a recent report, “How College Pricing Undermines Financial Aid,” issued by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. The…
-
Colleges Gone Wild
USA Today has done a public service by investigating what NCAA schools spend on athletic programs. Among the findings, several Virginia universities support athletic programs through mandatory fees. Six schools — Radford, James Madison, Norfolk State, Longwood and VMI were mentioned by name — charged $1,000 or more in the 2008-2009 school year. Given the…
-
Is There Any End to Virginia College Tuition Hikes?
The old excuse of Virginia colleges and universities for rising tuitions — we’re just making up for past freezes and rollbacks ordered by the General Assembly — is beginning to wear thin. Here are some numbers from a Daily Press article drawing upon a Monday report by the College Board. The average price of community…
-
Abuser Fees Working? Reckless Driving Down?
I was an early skeptic of Abuser Fees. Among other concerns, I wondered if the fees would succeed in their stated purpose of deterring reckless driving. Well, I like to think that my opinions are guided by the facts, and some preliminary facts are in. And it looks like, maybe, just maybe, that particular concern…
-
Flogging a Dead Horse: College Tuitions Still Out of Control
At the risk of repeating myself, let me repeat myself… College tuitions are out of control. Attending a four-year public college or university in Virginia this year will set you back about $452 more in tuition and mandatory fees on average than last year, according to new figures released by the State Council on Higher…
-
The Filthy Rich Get Richer
In “Matewan,” the 1987 film about organizing West Virginia coal miners, union activist Joe Keenehan, played by Chris Cooper, tells a group of dubious miners: “There’s two types of people. Them that work and them that don’t. You work. They don’t.” With that as a Labor Day message, let’s consider some very important structural changes…
-
Acorn to Oak: “Free” Military Dependent Tuition
By Steve Haner Virginia’s political leaders are embarked upon another of their occasional efforts to clean up their own mess, in this case scrambling to restore a generous tuition waiver at Virginia’s public universities for family members of certain veterans. It is being touted as a benefit for Virginia “gold star families” of the fallen.…
-
University of Lynchburg Bites the Bullet
by James A. Bacon In anticipation of shrinking numbers of college-bound students, the University of Lynchburg has taken proactive steps to reduce its cost structure. A small private institution affiliated with the Church of Christ, the university has announced that it is cutting employee headcount by 10%, with further reductions over the next three years.…
-
Yes, You Can Fight City Hall
by James A. Bacon Sometimes it takes grumpy old men to get things done. Ken Davis, retired from a career in the Attorney General’s Office, lived with his wife in the Willow Lawn area of Richmond for more than 40 years. They paid their property tax bills on time and without complaint. But in July…
-
Youngkin Kills Tax Hikes, Still Gets Record Budget
By Steve Haner After much political theater, the Virginia General Assembly and Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) have now compromised on a $188 billion state budget based simply on the revenue projected from current tax law, with neither tax hikes nor tax reductions. Making those revenue projections slightly more optimistic eased the path. With both…
-
Pot for Sale
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The 2024 General Assembly has taken care of a piece of unfinished business. It has passed a bill to set up a framework for the sale of marijuana. The 2021 General Assembly made it legal for individuals to possess a small amount of marijuana. However, there was not enough time to craft…