Report: A sea change in college funding

The cost of college in Idaho is up, state funding for higher education is down and economically modest students across the state continue to struggle to pay for four years of college.

"High college cost is a threat to Idaho’s economy at a time when employers are demanding a more educated workforce and when workers with college degrees command far higher salaries than those with only a high school diploma," an August 2019 report from the Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy said.

Students are facing barriers that make finishing college more challenging, even though the state is working toward increasing the number of college graduates. State scholarships are not reaching all the students they could, especially those who are experiencing the most financial hardships.

"It’s a nationwide trend," Chris Martin, North Idaho College's vice president for finance and business affairs, said Thursday.

The Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy reported that tuition and fees in Idaho account for 47% of college and university funding. In 1980, they accounted for 7%. State funding dropped from 93% to 54% in that time.

"Idaho's tuition and fees have grown rapidly, even when adjusted for inflation," the report states. "At $7,807, the inflation-adjusted average cost of a year of college education is now six times higher in 2020 than it was in 1980 at $1,306."

Martin said NIC was unique in that it doesn't expect students to generate the lion's share of the school's revenue. It had no increase in in-district tuition for the 2019-2020 academic year, and last year the increase was just $1.50 per credit.

"We work hard to make sure that no more than 33 percent of the revenue comes from student tuition and fees," he said. "We try to balance that state funding and local tax levy so that we’re not overburdening students on their share on the cost of education."

He said whenever he meets with a student, they discuss that affordability should not be a barrier to access.

"If a child gets sick or a car was to break down, those are the things I hear about from students," he said. "We try to find them resources or point them in the right direction to overcome those setbacks."

Where state funding is lacking, Martin said NIC does receive a lot of support from the community and the NIC Foundation, which helps fund scholarships for students.

The Idaho State Board of Education's Opportunity Scholarship has also increased to help students reach their academic goals. This scholarship awards up to $3,500 per year to eligible applicants.

"While we've seen declining direct funding, there has been a lot of support to set aside money for the Opportunity Scholarship," Martin said.

The report states that "this trend is occurring at a time when workers with college degrees or other forms of postsecondary education are in higher demand than ever. Companies looking to expand or relocate put a premium on how skilled a state’s workforce is. Underinvestment may weaken the state’s ability to build a strong and sustainable economy for the long-term and keep too many Idahoans from fulfilling their potential."

Martin said it's something NIC will be keeping an eye on.

"We’ll be watching this very closely and engaging with our legislators to share the value of higher education and how increased funding allows us to not have to pursue tuition and fee increases," he said.