New Studies Indicate College Spending Increases Not Related to College Success For Students

Change Magazine issue of November 2008 has an article by Peter T. Ewell that demonstrates there is no relationship between college spending in similar institutions and student performance. The key is how the money is spent If more money is spent on academic support for students- tutors, counselors, faculty development, teaching centers etc. then students in similar colleges do better than their peers. But most of the spending increases in recent years is for functions outside of instruction such as federal research, hospitals,public service , and auxiliary operations says Jane Wellman in another related article in Change. Why are expenditures that do not stress student instruction growing so fast? See for yourself at www.changemag.org