In House Education Committee today, we heard from three university student body presidents: Kelby Wilson U of I, Ross Knight ISU, and Clay Long LCSC. All three were well spoken, articulate and concerned about higher education. Their parents should be proud.
These three young people raised a question in my mind. How can funding be stabilized for higher education? I see five options:
1. We can make cuts in the state budget in other areas to protect higher ed spending. If we decide to do this, where should we make these cuts?
2.Increase efficiencies and change the culture at higher education to reduce the costs. If so, what are these changes?
3. Increase taxes. Is this possible?
4. Increase the ability of universities to self-fund. What can universities do to create funding through self-perpetuating activities?
5. Increase the ability of students to pay for their own education by encouraging high school students to get professional-technical certificates in high school.
The easy route is simply to raise taxes. I think that this option would harm the economy and is not available to us. I believe we need innovative solutions that require addressing budget cuts, increased efficiencies of higher education, and self-funding. It is time we become truly innovative.
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