College Affordability Concerns in Garden State are Too Often Underestimated

In a May 2007 poll conducted by the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities (ASCU), 59 percent of likely voters said that state colleges and universities are less affordable than they were two to three years earlier. Those polled realize that tuition has increased substantially, and eight of 10 understand that cuts in state funding are an important reason why. Unfortunately, while the Garden State consistently excels in preparing students for college, it has not invested adequately in higher education to take advantage of that pre-college investment. A recent national survey indicated that, over the past two years, New Jersey was the only state in the union to decrease funding for higher education. The other 49 states increased higher education funding by an average of 16.2 percent during the same span.

As a consequence, New Jersey students and their families are beginning to worry that attending a four-year public institution could no longer be within their grasp. National surveys show that college is viewed almost universally as critical to personal prosperity and a fulfilling life. Our state college and university presidents, along with institutional trustees, are also very concerned about these trends and are seeking solutions that will assure our citizens are able to realize the promise or excellent and affordable baccalaureate education.

To that end, ASCU conceived a project called New Jersey College Promise that is designed to address the pressing needs for increased college access and affordability in a publicly accountable way. Last fall, we put together a 21-member advisory council that included some of the most nationally respected experts in higher education, as well as distinguished New Jersey business leaders. That panel recently recommended the following steps:

Reduce the average time it takes for students to earn degrees by increasing four-year graduation rates and aligning undergraduate programs, where possible, with graduate degree programs.
Institute cost savings steps and find innovative means of keeping tuition increases more consistent with New Jersey changes in average per capita disposable family income.
Continue regular review of college and university cost structures to assure alignment with applicable best management practices and increase opportunities to collaborate with other institutions.
Accelerate application of practices similar to federal Sarbanes-Oxley standards to ensure transparency and accountability in all operations.

At The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), we have already begun work on this agenda. Through well conceived program structure and aggressive student support, we have achieved graduation rates that surpass those of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and New York University. TCNJ has implemented strict and transparent financial controls, implemented a comprehensive energy conservation program, and has created a Center for Institutional Effectiveness to assess institutional performance and student outcomes. The College has also enacted debt and investment policies and established a Board of Trustees committee dedicated to auditing fiscal operations. The results have been low administrative expenditures, improved bond ratings, prestigious national rankings, and superlative graduation and retention rates.

These initiatives to increase affordability and productivity would be significantly improved through greater partnership with the State of New Jersey. A rational plan must be developed for provision of operating and capital support to the state colleges and universities, but financial investment is not the only avenue through which the state can support higher education. The following actions on the part of the state would help institutions keep costs down and improve performance:

Where institutions can operate with more cost-efficiency than the state, transfer to the campuses such responsibilities, such as in workers compensation.
Strengthen appointment of nonpartisan boards of trustees and amend current law to allow college governing boards to have up to two trustees who are not New Jersey residents and not alumni.
Approve legislation giving institutions more flexibility in facilities funding and construction to leverage, through partnerships, more private dollars to meet public facilities needs.
Fund all expenses that are state-mandated, or cease to mandate them.

The nine ASCU institutions are the third most productive among their peers nationally, according to the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, but this is a critical time for putting renewed energy into addressing affordability, productivity, and accountability. ASCU is convening three regional, invitational meetings with a wide cross section of New Jersey leaders and the public. These groups will include officials in the executive and legislative branches of government, state business and industry leaders, K-12 professionals, college presidents and trustees, parents of state college students, student leaders, and other community, nonprofit, and policy advocates. The College of New Jersey will continue to be part of this important leadership effort to fulfill the promise of college opportunity in the Garden State.

R. Barbara Gitenstein
President
The College of New jersey

About The College of New Jersey

TCNJ currently is ranked as one of the 75 "Most Competitive" schools in the nation by Barron's Profiles of American Colleges, is rated the No. 1 public institution in the northern region of the country by U.S. News & World Report, and is one of Kiplinger's Personal Finance's top educational values in the country. In 2006, the College joined an elite group of institutions when it was awarded a Phi Beta Kappa chapter. Fewer than 10 percent of the nation's colleges and universities share this honor.

ALL NEWS »