state investment

In OPtimizing EDucation, by Dan Hurley September 19, 2024

I recently wrote about Michigan’s strong labor market forecast for workers with four-year degrees and above, citing several data sources that underscore the value of a bachelor’s degree in the years ahead. A prominent, frequently cited source that is Michigan-specific is the…

In OPtimizing EDucation, by Dan Hurley September 12, 2024

Talent is the currency of today’s economy, enabling states to attract and retain companies and the high-knowledge, high-income workers they employ. And talent development, especially as measured by the completion of postsecondary degrees and credentials, will become increasingly…

In OPtimizing EDucation, by Dan Hurley January 27, 2022

1,737 years. That’s the number of years that Michigan’s 15 public universities have collectively existed. More than half of our state’s public universities were established in the nineteenth century, beginning with the University of Michigan’s founding in 1817, a full two…

In Higher Ed Finance, by Dan Hurley October 1, 2020

When it comes to matters of state funding for higher education in Michigan and the enhancement of college affordability, there has been little reason to express appreciation since the turn of this century, given the more than $1 billion inflation-adjusted disinvestment in…

In Financial Aid, by Dan Hurley December 6, 2019

Seldom are reports published that so clearly and concisely illustrate just how much of an aberration Michigan is when it comes to ensuring college affordability for its residents. The release by The Century Foundation of its latest report on Michigan college affordability…

In Accountability, by Mia Murphy December 2, 2019

This fall in the Michigan Legislature, the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Higher Education are holding informational hearings while they consider revisions to the state’s funding formula utilized for its 15 public universities. MASU is slated to testify on Dec.…

In Higher Ed Finance, by Mia Murphy March 8, 2019

We might have expected much of the general approach Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took to her first budget, announced this week, by her campaign platform. Certainly a number of proposals like pulling School Aid Fund out of the universities’ budget were expected based on her platform…

In Economic Development, by Dan Hurley February 21, 2019

An earlier version of this commentary originally appeared in Bridge Magazine The world of work has changed over the last 20 years. It’s vital that Michigan change with it. That means placing a priority on investing in education that can provide the talent needed to attract…

In Educational Attainment, by Dan Hurley February 20, 2019

In her State of the State Address, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced an ambitious and much-needed goal for Michigan to increase its postsecondary education attainment level to 60 percent by 2030, as measured by the proportion of Michiganders with a college degree or…

In Higher Ed Finance, by Dan Hurley September 20, 2018

The extent to which state governments invest in their public colleges and universities and in their student financial aid programs has a direct impact on access to and affordability of a college degree. Greater state investment mitigates the need for colleges to raise tuition…

In Higher Ed Finance, by Mia Murphy May 17, 2018

The leaders of Michigan’s 15 public universities, joined by the staff of the Michigan Association of State Universities, have long touted the personal return on investment a student earns with a four-year college degree. We’ve also long talked about the benefits that accrue to…

In Accountability, April 26, 2017

Universities are many things to many people—classrooms, workforce development engines, research and development institutions, and beacons of civic pride. But universities are also an ancient endeavor, created in something close to their current form at the University of Bologna…

In Educational Attainment, January 6, 2017

Michigan’s economy is continuing to grow, enabling it to compete vigorously on the national and global stage. That’s the good news. The bad news? The state’s most important economic input—maintaining and growing a talented workforce—will be increasingly challenged by a declining…

In Financial Aid, October 11, 2016

The annual accounting of states’ investment in student financial aid was recently released, showing that financial aid across all states increased by 5.7 percent in the 2014-15 academic year, the most recent year for which data are available. The 46th Annual Survey…