Economic Downturn and College
The current economic downturn is effecting many schools. It is a double edged sword for many schools.
For elite schools, many parents are having a hard time paying the tuition and costs of attending. This leads some students to consider less expensive state universities. This is because the parents may have lost their job or their college savings may have been lost in the stock market.
For state universities, while the additional students may be welcome they will also be facing state budget cuts. This shortage of funding will effect extra curricular activities and will also effect scholarships and classes offered. Many universities will try to make up for the budget cuts by increasing class sizes.
Community colleges and trade schools often see an increase in enrollment during economic hard times. This is because laid off adult workers will go back to school to retool and learn a new trade. They will also use financial aid to help pay their bills until things improve.
This economic downturn may be a good time to exam the excesses in college expenses. It also time to examine why college tuition has grown faster than the rate of inflation for the last decade.