Washington — The American Association of State Colleges and Universities has released its list of the top 10 state-policy issues that will affect higher education this year.
Not surprisingly, many of the issues focus on money, or the lack of it, as states project a combined $200-billion revenue shortfall for the current and coming budget years. The states’ fiscal crises, tuition policy, and student aid make up the top three items in the list. In addition, the new federal requirement to maintain a consistent level of state money for higher education will be an issue, the group notes.
Other topics include:
4. Enrollment Capacity: “Any leveling off of enrollments at many of the nation’s colleges and universities may be postponed due to burgeoning demand that is often witnessed during a recessionary period.”
8. Veterans Education: “The upcoming August 1, 2009, implementation of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, also known as the Post-9/11 GI Bill, will be a watershed moment in the history of educational assistance for veterans and service members.”
9. Undocumented Students: “Existing federal law pertaining to in-state tuition for undocumented students is ambiguous, and Congress has repeatedly failed to pass a measure, such as the Dream Act, that would support states’ rights to offer in-state tuition to these students.”
—Eric Kelderman
