2011 Public Opinion Polling
Voters See Public Colleges and a Priority Investment Linked to Jobs and Future Prosperity, But Don't See a State Plan
NJ likely voters say state colleges and universities are key to economic recovery, merit more state investment to fulfill this role, and are trusted to make educational and financial decisions. However, these public institutions need to do more to show the public they are working hard to contain costs and keep tuition affordable -- a big concern of Jersey residents, many of whom have experienced economic setbacks. Read press here. See poll results.
Poll indicates a
According to a new, scientific
public opinion survey by Penn,
Schoen & Berland Associates
(PSB), Washington, DC, office
for New Jersey Association of
State Colleges and Universities
(NJASCU) the state's likely
voters say that New Jersey's
state colleges and universities
are key to economic recovery,
merit more state investment to
fulfill this role, and are
trusted to make educational and
financial decisions.
However, the polls show that
these public institutions need
to do more to demonstrate that
they are working hard to contain
costs and keep tuition and fees
affordable -- a big concern of
The results are taken from an
online study, focusing squarely
on
College investment tied with
jobs, economic development.
The vast majority (95%) of
likely voters think it is
important for the state to have
a plan to connect higher
education with jobs and the
economy. A 57% majority
said they were not aware that
the state has such a plan.
Most residents seem to
understand the need to invest in
higher education. Among likely
voters, 57% strongly agree that
excellent and affordable state
colleges are vital to
Colleges viewed as high quality,
but affordability concerns
deepen.
According to Dr. Darryl Greer,
NJASCU's CEO, affordability is
an especially big concern
because people don't want to be
locked out of state colleges by
their economic circumstances.
Citizens recognize the education
at state colleges and
universities is of high quality:
14% say quality is excellent,
67% say good, 17% say fair, and
1% say poor.
Likely voters were divided about
the affordability of state
colleges; citizens' perception
that college remains affordable
continues to slip in the bad
economy. In the current
poll, 51% say the colleges are
not affordable (not very + not
at all), while 42% say colleges
are somewhat affordable, and 7%
say the colleges are very
affordable. By comparison,
in 2007, 16% of residents said
state colleges were not
affordable.
Greer says that the perception
of college affordability is
shaped by several factors:
estimations of costs and student
aid to cover costs; awareness of
the pace of increases over time;
and changes in personal economic
circumstances.
The poll found that about
one-half (51%) of likely voters
had experienced at least one
personal setback (e.g., job
loss, pay cut, reduced hours)
over the past year. Greer
added, "While citizens are
basically correct about the
rising cost of college, they do
tend to overestimate the cost,
sometimes by 50% or more."
Many of those surveyed (38%)
accurately responded the current
state college tuition and fees
rate range (above $10,000 but
below $15,000), although
approximately the same share
think that tuition is above
$15,000. (Note: the
question specified "excluding
room and board"). While
citizens support helping others
through student financial aid,
38% of likely voters think
financial aid to those at NJ
state colleges benefits "people
like me and my family." A
majority (62%) respond that such
programs "benefit others but not
me and my family."
Beyond state investment,
productivity is key to
affordability.
While the colleges have been
cutting costs, improving
productivity, and finding new
revenue to supplement lost state
funds, much of the public may be
unaware of these efforts.
Twenty-two percent (22%) of
likely voters say that the main
reason for tuition increases is
colleges' inability to cut back
on spending. A large
segment of the public cites
state budget cuts as the chief
reason for tuition increases
(32%).
Confidence in trustees is strong.
Most likely voters favor giving
college trustee boards, rather
than the legislature or state
agencies, the freedom and
responsibility to manage
personnel, operations and
programs. Four out of five
believe that more
As in past PSB polls, citizens
are far more likely to trust
college presidents and the
nonpartisan trustee boards than
state bodies and agencies to
make the best decisions for
institutions. For example,
when it comes to decisions about
planning and facilities
construction, trustee boards are
favored over state entities
nearly 2:1, and they are favored
3:1 when it comes to decisions
regarding managing employees.
Scholarships should not restrict
choice.
The public is not at all keen
about state student financial
aid programs that are limited to
one type of
Capacity problem understood.
Better than four out of ten
(42%) of likely voters are aware
that
Low support for in-state tuition
for undocumented students.
The public has moved, over the
past six years, toward a less
favorable view of granting
in-state tuition rates to
undocumented, but otherwise
qualified,
Other questions covered in the
poll include factors
contributing to student
graduation rates, perceptions
about spending on higher
education compared to spending
on K-12 education, and
importance of addressing New
Jersey's (nation's worst) loss
of high school graduates to
out-of-state institutions (net
30,000 per year).
To see
results of 2011 poll,
click here.
2009 Public Opinion Polling
The New Jersey Association of
State Colleges and Universities
(ASCU) sponsored a poll
conducted between September 30
and
On the importance of, and
quality of, education at
| n |
86% said the colleges
are important to keeping
good jobs in |
| n |
79% said the colleges
are important to keeping
NJ families in |
| n | 91% said they have a favorable view of the NJ state colleges and universities (32% very favorable; 59% somewhat favorable); |
| n |
Very favorable ratings
were 37% among those
with children under 25. |
| n |
82% said the nine |
Control over colleges, accountability and trust.
More than four out of five
(81%) agree that less
government bureaucracy and
less state regulation would
help the colleges and
universities be more
efficient and serve more
students.
Nearly four out of five (79%)
agree that if the state is going
to invest more money to support
higher education and serve more
New Jersey students, nonpartisan
boards of trustees and the
presidents should make the
decision, as opposed to "letting
the governor decide how to spend
the money" (11%), or "letting
state agencies in Trenton decide
how to spend the money"
(10%).
Similarly, seven out of ten
(71%) say that, when it comes to
future progress on college
affordability, quality and
accountability, they trust state
college/university presidents
and their nonpartisan trustee
boards, as opposed to the
governor (12%) or legislature
(7%).
A majority of likely voters
think that if
Student enrollment and capacity, ties to the
economy.
Many likely voters mistakenly
think that state colleges serve
large numbers of out-of-state
residents. Only 16% said
they thought the colleges enroll
fewer than 10% out-of-state
students -- which is the case.
39% said the percentage of
out-of-state students was
11-20%; 33% said it was 21-30%;
12% said it is 31% or more; 2%
think it is 41% or more.
Likely voters support the need
to expand college capacity:
92% agree that NJ students
should have the opportunity to
live on campus at the state
college or university of their
choice; 82% agree that expanding
capacity will help keep NJ's
brightest students here; 86%
agree that expanding college
access will help create new jobs
and businesses and expand NJ's
economy.
College affordability and tuition trend lines,
causes.
Likely voters are split about
whether the cost of education at
the nine state colleges is
affordable. Very
affordable was listed by 9%;
somewhat affordable 43%; not
very affordable 38%; and not at
all affordable 10%.
Likely voters do not hold
colleges responsible for tuition
increases. 45% think it is
the bad economy and state budget
cuts; 19% attribute it to rising
costs of new programs and
technology; another 19% believe
the cause is state mandated
costs and regulation. Only
18% believe that it is the
inability of colleges to cut
back on spending.
Financial aid.
41% indicate that financial aid
for students at state colleges
and universities is available to
most students; 59% say that it
is not.
70% say financial aid "benefits
others, but not me and my
family;" while 31% say financial
aid "benefits people like me and
my family."
Need for state investment.
When asked whether the current
NJ funding for a college student
(about half what is spent per
student in K-12) is appropriate,
only about one-third surveyed
(34%) agreed. Two-thirds
(66%) think that spending on
college students should be
greater than it is now.
Similarly, when asked whether
the state should have a plan to
invest in higher education
facilities (it currently has
none), in light of the state's
current investment of $3.9
billion in K-12 construction,
77% of likely voters agreed that
the state should plan to spend
somewhere between $1.3 and $3.9
billion on higher education
facilities over the next decade.
Too see results of poll,
click here.
Poll Results - ASCU-sponsored
polls by Penn, Schoen & Berland
Associates