from
the Chronicle for Higher Education As the Democratic Convention came to a close, parents with college-age students should have been encouraged by what they heard coming from the Democratic Party. John Edwards, the current Vice Presidential candidate, supported many earlier speakers by calling for further tax breaks to families that help put their children through college. Edwards promised “a Kerry administration would provide a tax credit covering as much as $4,000 of tuition for four years.”
Lowering tuition was mentioned frequently at the convention. Speakers touted improved access to higher education as a way toward improving the U.S. economy and provide better jobs to U.S. citizens. This theme was included both in the Democratic Party Platform, and in Kerry’s education plan.
Both stated that government should help make college affordable for every student. Kerry’s specific plan also calls for federal funds to be given to state governments over the next two years to keep tuitions from rising. During that time, he hopes to work with states to give incentives to colleges who keep tuition low.
Some policy makers want to go even further, and have proposed that college tuition be pegged to the consumer price index, a common indicator of inflation. This policy would probably make some university officials nervous, because if enacted, it would limit their ability to adjust tuition based on specific local economic needs.
CNN, Aug 4, 2004 Every year, universities have a need to get rid of many outdated or unnecessary items. In the past, they would hold public auctions on campus and invite the public to buy items at a reduced price. Some universities, however, could not find a market for their goods, especially those located in more rural areas of the country. They would wind up selling valuable materials, like pallets of scientific glassware, for “$10 to $15,” which was painfully less than market value.
Oregon State University was one of the first schools to discover that they could make a lot of money and get rid obscure items by selling them online. They started using eBay, a popular online website, during the 1990s. When they started posting their earnings, other universities joined in and saw similar benefits.
Unfortunately, for some schools, selling goods online is forbidden, due to state laws limiting how schools can disburse state property or enter into contracts. Some who can’t yet sell their surplus online still recognize the benefits and are trying to get in on the action. Tim Sell, the business manager for the University of Wisconsin’s surplus goods, set up his own auction site after spending years unsuccessfully trying to sell goods on eBay.
It stands to reason that when states and colleges start to realize the potential for profit through online surplus sales, legislation will start to change so all schools can take advantage of this revenue enhancing tool.
