A Vicious Cycle - Colleges prefer those who can pay

The weak economy isn't just impacting people in the corporate world. A recent survey by Inside Higher Ed has shown that colleges and universities are just like us, meaning they're focused on money and costs. According to the survey, Admission Directors were asked "the two most important admission issues/challenges confronting their institutions over the next 2-3 years." Here are the top 3 responses for the category 'All 4-Year Institutions':

• Rising concern from families about tuition and affordability
• Potential cuts in Federal student aid programs
• Increased competition from other institutions similar to mine.

With these concerns have come a change of recruitment focus. Public institutions are increasingly targeting "full pay" students, meaning those that aren't utilizing loans to support their educational efforts. Institutions across the board are pursuing full-time students. More credits means more tuition. Also being courted are out-of-state students, as they pay higher tuition fees.

There's a few things troubling about this report. First is that by focusing on those who can pay (or don't rely as much on financial aid) it makes it more difficult for those utilizing these support services to get admitted. This can only contribute to the skills gap that's looming over businesses and those struggling to find gainful employment. Also, are academic standards being sacrificed as a result of this selection focus? If this trend continues future generations are at risk for being unprepared for the workforce.

It's well known that a college degree helps the recipient in terms of potential earnings over a lifetime. While the focus on job creation is incredibly important, leaders need to pay attention to the trends happening on the educational front. Otherwise, the responsibility to create the workforce necessary for organizational success may fall on us, and less on the institutions designed for this role.