Higher education is a complex package of issues which never seems to leave the limelight. The primary wedge issues are tuition cost, access, accountability, financial aid, government funding, sports and their place within higher education, academic results, societal gains as a whole in terms of international competition, and continuing education. This book examines current leading edge issues from around the world which will play a role in this crucial sector of human endeavour including family educational rights, student loans, tax credits and international studies.

In fact, Saskatchewan students now pay significantly higher tuition and fees than do most students in the U. S. The average tuition and other fees at public four-year universities in the United States this year are shown in Table 2. The average tuition and additional compulsory fees at Saskatchewan's three universities, $5,526, are higher than tuition and fees in three of the six regions in the U. [...] Tuition and fees in each of the various colleges/faculties at U of S and U of R are shown in Table 3. Tuition fees in Dentistry at the U of S are the highest in Canada. [...] Revenue for capital projects at the U of S has increased at an average rate of 60% in each of the years from 1999-00 to 2003-04, amounting to a total of $45.8 million in 2003-04, according to the annual U of S financial statements. [...] The majority of this funding comes from the province, though the construction of the CLS synchrotron at the U of S has resulted in large increases in federal contributions. [...] Thus, while total provincial funding for universities has increased over the past decade more in Saskatchewan than in other provinces, a significant portion of the increase in the past five years has been for research and capital expenses, and not for the operation of educational programs at the universities.

This volume provides a comprehensive and evenhanded overview of the escalating college affordability crisis in the United States. It explains how higher education became so expensive and explores the implications of high college loan debt for students and American society. The 21st Century Turning Point series is a one-stop resource for understanding the people and events changing America today. Each volume provides readers with a clear, authoritative, and unbiased understanding of a single issue or event that is driving national debate about our country's leaders, institutions, values, and priorities. This particular volume is devoted to the issue of the rising cost of higher education in the United States. The expense of pursuing a college degree has become so high for so many students, in fact, that the country is experiencing what many educators, economists, parents, and students describe as a college affordability crisis. This work provides an accessible, accurate account of the factors driving this trend, including dramatic reductions in higher education spending by states; for-profit colleges; predatory, unscrupulous, and lightly regulated student loan service companies; and spiraling spending by colleges and universities competing to attract students.

This book discusses recent trends in outcomes assessment, examines how state governments are reshaping the national discussion with higher education, and explains how libraries must respond to these changes. Higher Education Outcomes Assessment for the Twenty-first Century focuses on recent developments in outcomes assessment, especially from the perspectives of the federal government and state governments, as well as foundations concerned about the state of higher education. The authors identify the significant changes that these stakeholders call for—information that academic librarians and anyone following outcomes assessment need to be aware of—and interpret the discussions to identify implications for libraries. Building upon the foundation of knowledge presented in the previous two Libraries Unlimited Outcomes Assessment in Higher Education titles, this book provides readers with up-to-date coverage of topics such as the emerging metrics used to define student and institutional success; the increased importance of accountability and the need to compare and assess the performance of programs and institutions rather than individual courses; and the shift in prioritizing student outcomes over student learning outcomes. The authors also spotlight the critical need for libraries to fit their role within the national discussion and suggest ways in which library managers and directors can play a role in redirecting the discussion to their benefit.