Education Committee of Unicameral Conducts Interim Study on Post-Secondary Education

With LR 262, the Education Committee of the Nebraska Unicameral has established an Interim Study "to examine issues relating to postsecondary education." The University of Nebraska System Office in Lincoln is providing important support for this study, including data showing how the proportion of state support for higher education in Nebraska has declined more or less steadily for the past 20 years from 19 percent in 1991 to 14 percent projected in 2011. The data also compares percentage growth in general fund support during the same period for the three major categories of higher education, University of Nebraska (86% growth), State Colleges (117% growth), and the Community Colleges (180% growth).
State General Fund growth was 151 percent during the period while support for K-12 (including ARRA funds this year) rose 183 percent. At the same time, support for higher education, overall, rose 99 percent.
The steady erosion in rate of public support for the university has been felt by students in the form of tuition increases, as tuition is the only other major source of operating income to the University which it needs to maintain programs and quality. The ratio of state appropriation to tuition income shifted from 80/20 in 1992 to 70/30 today. (UNK became part of NU system in 1992).