Michigan higher education budget cuts some of deepest in nation since 2008 - Brian Smith, MLive

The "Great Recession" forced budget cuts and tough choices for lawmakers, but Michigan's colleges and universities suffered particularly hard times compared to schools in other states. A new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington-based think tank focused on state and federal budget priorities, shows that Michigan made some of the deepest cuts to higher education funding over the last six years, with 37 states making shallower reductions in spending. Overall, Michigan's higher education spending declined 28 percent after 2008, the report states, or an inflation-adjusted decrease of $1,631 per student. Average tuition costs over the same period were up 21.5 percent, or about $2,060, according to the report. http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2014/05/michigan_higher_education_budg.html