It’s been said that public higher education has been the way for the common man (and woman) to excel in uncommon ways.
But when states cut funding to these places of higher learning, the basic character of these so-called “flagship” institutions change.
Instead of offering education for the best and brightest among the talented masses, such schools shift their focus to a more well-heeled elite.
These are out-of-state students and their parents who can afford to pay “full-freight.”
More than likely, these students aren’t from underserved minority communities in need.
What happens to the in-state students from poorer communities? They’re displaced. Shut out. More and more, the reachable and affordable bargain of a premier state university is no longer available to these students, who are the most deserving in the state.
According to a Cooke Foundation study by UCLA professor Ozan Jaquette, at 24 public flagship universities in the U.S., out-of-state students are half of the freshman class. At 11 schools, these out-of-state students account for half of all freshmen. Most of the time, the study found these students had lower grades and scores, and they were accommodated simply because families could afford to pay 2-3 times the standard admission. The study called these schools “crass moneymaking operations” that “prioritize the rich kids from out of state” who don’t need financial need.
