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Reduced funding

Consistent with trends we examined in The Economic Landscape, the areas of K–12 and higher education are experiencing reduced funding as governments struggle to constrain expenditures without increasing taxation. In the United States, the situation is unlikely to change any time soon. According to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, all but a handful of states will find it impossible to maintain current levels of public services within their existing tax structures.1

These projections suggest that the fiscal prospects for higher education are not rosy. At the same time, there is a strong interest in increasing access for qualified students as the “branding” of the value of higher education is firmly embedded in the social fabric. Calls for accountability and measurability mentioned in the Economic Landscape are loud and clear in the Research and Learning Landscape.

“We can no longer put billions of dollars into the system without expecting colleges to become more affordable. We can never give enough aid if colleges just keep raising their prices. The federal government will continue to do its fair share to help bridge the financial divide between what families can afford to pay for college and what they are expected to pay. We will support those institutions that are trying to make college less expensive. But because the federal government provides 70 percent of all financial aid, it is time for Congress to demand accountability. We must seize this opportunity and ask colleges to do their part in increasing access to higher education.”2

Viewed solely through a funding lens, the future of education looks pretty dismal. And indeed, if the structure and organization of educational institutions remain as they are today, the future is likely not rosy.

“If we are worried about the declining state of education and decreasing state and federal budgets, disruptive innovation could be a powerful new framework for the debate over how best to improve primary and secondary schools. If the debate is framed around preserving the status quo, then disruptive innovations are of little use. However, if the debate is framed around how to provide the best quality instruction at the lowest possible price to the greatest number of people, officials should find a way to encourage the creation of disruptive business models. Successful disruptive business models will fling open the doors of quality education to previously underserved and nonconsuming populations. Moreover, social and economic welfare will increase as more people learn at all educational levels.”3

Research and Learning Landscape: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8