Abstract:
Public funding for higher education has declined steadily over the past several decades. As a result, colleges and universities increasingly rely on private donations. This shift forces institutions to balance the expectations of powerful donors with the broader academic mission. Not only does the funding body impact public trust in a research study, but high-impact research, student protests, and manufactured, agenda-driven controversies also shape public opinion about the academy.
In this article, we examine how these forces intersect to influence public sentiment toward higher education. We also explore how government disinvestment—exemplified by the Trump administration’s repeated funding cuts—further blurs the line between public and private support in academe. In doing so, we show that higher education has become a battleground where public and private interests struggle for control.
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