Dive Brief:

• A special report from the Chronicle of Higher Education finds that public money for higher education has been sliding for decades, with the burden shifting toward students.
• One analysis mentioned suggests that if the funding trends continue, some states could stop supporting higher ed entirely within decades — although some projections stretch that into the 2100s.
• An interactive feature allows exploration of how state and federal support has declined at more than 600 public colleges and universities since 1987.

Dive Insight:

One aspect tied to lower government funding is the role of university president as fundraiser. The article highlights Bruce D. Benson, president of the University of Colorado — the state projections put as the first state where public funding could dry up altogether if current trends continue. That could happen as soon as 2022.