Cutbacks to Public Colleges and Universities Underscore Need for Alternatives in Higher Education

MASSIVE CUTBACKS TO PUBLIC COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES UNDERSCORE NEED FOR

ALTERNATIVES IN HIGHER EDUCATION

CALSOUTHERN

VIEWPOINT LEARNING WITHOUT LIMITS

THE CALIFORNIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY INITIATIVE FOR

A NEW PARADIGM IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Founded in 1978

The CalSouthern Viewpoint

Massive Cutbacks to Public Colleges and Universities Underscore

Need for Alternatives in Higher Education

By Tom Dellner As states across the nation struggle with budget deficits and declining tax revenues as a result of the economic downturn and high unemployment, state-funded higher education braces for another round of cuts.

The impact on current and future students will be substantial, and immediate. California State University has announced that it will enroll 10,000 fewer students next year, and reduce faculty and staff. University of California Regents have already approved an eightpercent increase in fees for fall 2011. California’s community colleges will cut enrollment by 400,000 next fall and eliminate thousands of classes to contend with the cuts, according to a recent article published in the Los Angeles Times.

State colleges and universities already have been hit hard by the recession. In fact, according to a recent report issued by the Center of Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), at least 43 states have implemented cuts to public-education funding. Schools have responded by raising tuition (the University of California has increased tuition by 32 percent since the middle of the 2009-10 school year), reducing faculty and staff, eliminating scholarships and financial aid programs (Michigan has slashed student financial aid by more than 61 percent, while 9,400 students in Minnesota will lose their state financial aid grants in their entirety), or by cutting courses or programs of study, according to the CBPP report.

“It’s a horrendous situation, and it’s only going to get worse,” says Dr. Donald Hecht, founder and president emeritus of California Southern University.

“We are going to be seeing a significant number of potential students shut out of traditional colleges and universities, not because of an inability to succeed, but rather because of an inability to pay. And those students that are enrolled may face crowded classrooms or potentially experience difficulty getting into the classes they would like to take or their desired programs of study. Students may take longer to complete programs, or be forced to drop out as tuition is increased.”

CALIFORNIA HIT HARD California’s state colleges and universities are facing a particularly dire funding crisis. This January, Governor Jerry Brown proposed cutting state support of higher education by a whopping $1.4 billion. The University of California and the California State University systems are each looking at $500 million reductions in funding, while community colleges stand to lose $400 million. And many believe that if certain tax extensions proposed by Governor Brown are not approved—and it is looking less and less likely that they will be—the education cuts could potentially double.

Learning Without Limits Founded in 1978

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The CalSouthern Viewpoint

“We are going to be seeing a significant number of potential students shut out of traditional colleges and universities, not because of an inability to succeed, but rather because of an inability to pay. And those students that are enrolled may face crowded classrooms or potentially experience difficulty getting into the classes they would like to take or their desired programs of study.”

—Dr. Donald Hecht

Learning Without Limits

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The CalSouthern Viewpoint

AN ALTERNATIVE HIGHER EDUCATION MODEL Hecht sees private online universities such as CalSouthern as presenting potential students with a more affordable, flexible alternative in higher education. “While I am sympathetic to the plight of the state-funded institutions, the current fiscal crisis underscores many of the benefits of our education methodology. Online universities like CalSouthern can provide the student with high-quality, accredited degree programs that bring value to higher education. Students will never be shut out of a class and forced to delay their studies while they wait until the next semester for another chance to enroll in the course. In fact, with monthly course starts and the ability to work at one’s own pace, it’s an education model that’s particularly attractive to the motivated, non-traditional learner, and an option that all students should consider today.”

Hecht urges students, when exploring online universities, to seek out schools that are accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, that offer reasonably priced tuition and assurances against tuition hikes, and that offer oneon-one student-faculty interaction. Further, he advises students to be extremely cautious when considering federal financial aid, pointing to the growing number of people finding themselves saddled with an unmanageable level of debt upon graduation. He asks students to look for schools that offer a combination of affordable tuition and interest-free payment options.

The CalSouthern Viewpoint is published in conjunction with “Learning Without Limits: The California Southern University Initiative for a New Paradigm in Higher Education.” CalSouthern is an institution offering high-quality online degree programs in business, psychology, and law at an affordable tuition. The university is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council. The Accrediting Commission is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency and is a recognized member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Learning Without Limits Founded in 1978

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