Increasing Public Funding for Higher Education

A 50-year trend of public disinvestment in our public colleges and universities has fueled higher tuition and fees for students and forced institutions to rely increasingly on adjunct faculty. By relegating much of the higher education workforce to flat income growth, decreased benefits and little employment security, colleges are now balancing their budgets on the backs of students and educators.

The average cost of college tuition and fees at public four-year institutions has risen 179.2 percent between 2002 and 2022. In 2020, more than 2 million students completed a bachelor’s degree and left college with an average of $30,467 in student loans. Roughly 7 percent of student borrowers have debt over $100,000. The mountain of debt borrowers graduate with is creating a huge strain on our economy and dramatically affecting borrowers of color in particular.^[1][2][3]

The AFT believes every student has the right to learn and thrive without leaving college with an avalanche of debt. States must increase public funding for higher education to ensure more people can access high-quality, affordable options to pursue their education, no matter where they live. And we must pursue all legal, regulatory and legislative avenues to reduce the student debt burden of all borrowers.