The American Association of State Colleges and Universities published their State Outlook for 2012. In the past year states on average cut higher education and as the state fiscal outlook continues to face pressures including the lack of federal stimulus funds and weak job growth, 2012 will likely again see cuts in higher education.
In addition to these cuts we are likely to see students paying more tuition to make up for fewer state dollars. Interestingly, the trend of governance reform may also continue into 2012. Although legislatures may be cutting higher education, they also look for ways to help institutions find relief from heavy government oversight or release individual state universities to set their own tuition rates.
In times such as these we often see lawmakers looking at college stores as a simple way to reduce the cost of attendance for students. They percieve textbooks as an easy way to cut back with having to increase funding. In the past year, we saw more initiatives to encourage open source course materials, ebooks and rental programs. On the other hand we can also work on ways to explain to legislators that college bookstores are already going above and beyond to help students. Click here to read the AASCU 2012 State Outlook.