<p>It's that time of year again, when the state of Michigan increases its structural deficit for the foreseeable future and further erodes its infrastructure in education by further cutting funds, most recently, to universities....</p>
<p>Lansing</a> to slash higher education funding by 2.8 percent | The Michigan Daily</p>
<p>2.8% does not sound like a “slash” in my book. Many state U’s are looking at real cuts of 10% next year. Just 2.8% is doing well IMHO. If I could get that cut for Wisconsin next year, I’d take it in a second.</p>
<p>Although costs are increasing each year for colleges (salaries ect), how many times in the last ten years has Michigan increased funding for UM?</p>
<p>Barrons, many states have not been consistently reducing funding for the better part of the decade, so a one-time hit of 10% wouldn’t necessarily mean that Wisconsin is being less supportive of its U’s than Michigan. However, that might be worth investigating comparatively, so thanks for the comment. </p>
<p>Just to give you an idea, Michigan has pretty much reduced funding to 1995 levels in K12 ed, while healthcare and other costs for staff have increased dramatically, some years, by as much as 22%.</p>
<p>I’ve done some time in the MI Senate and the MI House as an intern and they’re right – there are two things you never want to see made, laws and sausages. It wasn’t pretty.</p>
<p>So, I’m quite curious, where do you propose the money comes from to fund U of M, while still keeping it a public university (the state, under current administration, will not part with its flagship college), without raising taxes (because that would alienate the voters completely), AND without upsetting Michigan State (they’re SUPER touchy about funding fairness living in U of M’s shadow and all)?</p>
<p>As suggested in the following thread; perhaps UM needs to accept fewer in-state students if the the state of Michigan cannot afford to properly fund UM.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-michigan-ann-arbor/998363-coleman-said-she-d-like-begin-shrinking-size-university.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-michigan-ann-arbor/998363-coleman-said-she-d-like-begin-shrinking-size-university.html</a>
</p>
<p>^^ That MSU remark was unnecessary. We are getting funding cuts, same as you are. And why wouldn’t other universities be touchy about funding fairness? People’s families pay the taxes that go to U of M, just as they to MSU, Grand Valley, etc. I don’t understand why my tax dollars should go unequally to public colleges.</p>
<p>I don’t quite understand why U of M doesn’t want to become a private U. They certainly have the endowment to survive as a private U and could charge tuition comparable to that at Northwestern and other top privates. </p>
<p>Anyway, this budget cut affects all of Michigan’s universities. It is a sad day for all of us- especially when we already pay some of the highest in-state tuition rates in the country!</p>
<p>
If you were to ask MSU Economist Dr. Charles Ballard, it should come (for all education, not just U of M) from a reformulated goods and services tax and a very small but graduated increase to the state income tax, which I note has not been raised or equalized for 25+ years (in fact, residents paid a higher tax rate 25 years ago than presently.)
I will also note that retirees in the state of Michigan pay NO income tax whatsoever, unlike many other states. Further, the state continues to apportion the education budget from sales tax revenues, which is an archaic model.
I am thinking if folks can’t afford to pay 4 or 6% on a movie or a haircut, well fine, just don’t complain about post secondary tuition or the quality of education in Michigan.</p>
<p>Another way to address the structural deficit would be to have the state negotiate healthcare statewide for teaching contracts, or take over the provision of same, since this is the fastest-growing cost of education delivery. </p>
<p>Essentially, where there is a will, there is a way. These are just a few suggestions made by well-informed folks who are smarter than me 
Michigan has not, for several years, given any evidence it has the will to maintain its educational infrastructure.</p>
<p>And PS - Romani is cct -Michigan State has a far bigger problem amidst ANY cuts because they are already facing budget issues – they don’t have the large endowment or 30% full-pay OOS students to help carry the load.</p>
<p>
Do you have a source/link of the above bolded statement?</p>
<p>^
Here is one link:
</p>
<p>[Rising</a> tuition threatens Michigan education goals | MLive.com](<a href=“http://www.mlive.com/business/index.ssf/2008/07/rising_tuition_threatens_michi.html]Rising”>http://www.mlive.com/business/index.ssf/2008/07/rising_tuition_threatens_michi.html)</p>
<p>Sorry, two years ago is the most recent I can find. There was someone who posted in the FA forum either this year or last year with a list of tuition prices by state. We were well in the top 10. I can’t find it now though.</p>
<p>The MSU comment wasn’t made to diss MSU or anything, it was meant to provide a point that lawmakers consider/deal with when they do budgets because MSU lobbies the legislature heavily when it comes to funding and fairness. Their proportion of the higher ed budget (that is, their per-pupil number) is low and they don’t like it. I have absolutely NOTHING against MSU and don’t mean to insult them in any way.</p>
<p>And I don’t know if U of M wants to become a private Uni or not, but even if they did, the legislature and the governor, don’t want that and it requires their consent/cooperation.</p>