• From 1990-1991 to 2010-2011, total state appropriations rose
from $65.1 billion to $75.6 billion. But state funding actually
declined in relative terms. [From Bonddad: in inflation adjusted
terms, this is a decline] • If states had provided the same
level of per capita support as in 1990-1991, they would have
invested $80.7 billion in 2010-2011. • If states had provided
the same level of funding per public, full-time equivalent
student as in 1990-1991, total appropriations in 2009-2010 would
have equaled approximately $102 billion, an amount 35.3 percent
higher. • The proportion of their revenues that public colleges
and universities received from state appropriations dropped from
38.3 percent in 1991-1992 to 24.4 percent in 2008-2009. Rising
tuition, fees, and room and board represent a shift in support
from the state as a whole to individual students and their
families. In addition, the financial aid system has failed to
keep pace with escalating costs, forcing students and their
families to rely on finan