State appropriations for higher education increased nominally over the last year, according to an annual survey. But the small rise and wide variations across the nation underscore why many public colleges still have reason to fret about their states鈥 economies.
Over all, state appropriations for colleges were 1.6 percent higher for the current fiscal year, which began on July 1 for most states, than in the previous one, according to the annual 鈥淕rapevine鈥 survey, compiled by the Center for the Study of Education Policy at Illinois State University and the State Higher Education Executive Officers, known as Sheeo.
But several factors erase any notion that the national gains in higher-education spending amount to a significant step up. This year鈥檚 increase is the smallest in five years, and it falls short of the 2.1-percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for the 2017 calendar year.
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