| Montana ranks the lowest nationally for dollars of
each $1,000 of per capita income invested in higher education. |
|
|
Shifting
burdens for education
Public colleges and universities are, by definition, public trusts,
created for the people of the state in which they exist and funded primarily by the
taxpayers of the state. Nationally, the financial burden of support has shifted in the
last decade from public support to student support, with declining state appropriations
and increasing tuition. While this has been a national trend, few states have seen the
radical shift that has occurred in Montana.
A study by the Montana Legislative Fiscal Division revealed that the UM campuses,
compared to their counterparts in surrounding states, rely more on student tuition and
fees to support their programs. As state funding has decreased and tuition has increased,
Montana students are facing loan debts ranging from an average of $17,000 on the Missoula
campus to $21,000 at Western Montana College of UM.
Montana ranks the lowest nationally for dollars of each $1,000 of per capita income
invested in higher education -- less than $8 now, compared with $13.50 in 1985.
The Montana University System has asked the Legislature for a $500 funding increase per
student each year of the biennium. The Education Subcommittee of the Appropriations
Committee voted 4-2 in early February for a $100 per student increase, as recommended in
Gov. Judy Martz' budget. The issue goes before the Appropriations Committee later in the
session.
In the following columns, you'll read about the University System's funding situation
from the perspectives of a recent UM graduate, UM President George Dennison and Regent
Mark Semmens.
|
