Michigan has cut
funding to public universities and colleges deeper than 37 other states since
the start of the Great Recession, according to a new report from the Center on
Budget and Policy Priorities. 

As a result, tuition
has risen dramatically, making it harder for many to go to college and for the
state to attract businesses that rely on a well-educated workforce. 

At Michigan’s 15 public universities, tuition
is now the sixth-highest in the country and needs-based financial aid has
suffered, particularly for students over 30 years old. Due to the elimination
of several grant programs in 2009, no aid is available for those over 30, according to the Michigan League forPublic Policy.

While per-student
funding increased modestly (4.8 percent) over the past year, Michigan cut
funding for higher education overall by 28 percent since 2008, according to the
CBPP report. That’s a decrease of $1,631 per student, when adjusted for
inflation. At the same time, the average tuition at a public, 4-year college in
Michigan shot up by 21.5 percent or $2,050.

As a result of the state spending cuts that
began when the recession hit in 2008, Michigan is now among just six states
asking students and families to shoulder higher education costs (vs. state
support) by a ratio of at least 2:1, the report found.

Meanwhile, the
Michigan Education Association teachers’ union has created a new online tool that
shows the impact of the $623 million in budget cuts on each of Michigan’s
universities and community colleges. According to www.kidsnotceos.com,
all 15 universities and 61 percent of Michigan’s 33 community colleges have
lost state funding since 2011, when Gov. Rick Snyder, with the support of the
Republican-led Legislature, slashed higher education funding by 15 percent.

One additional consequence,
according to the MEA, has been increases in room and board costs at universities housing.

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