To be clear, lobbying is not the culprit behind runaway college costs. The millions spent on Washington influence don't even constitute pennies on the dollar for most of these institutions, many of whom boast budgets of more than $5 billion per year. But the lobbying largesse of the traditional sector -- and the media's disinterest in it -- raises fundamental questions about the responsible stewardship of public higher education investments. In these tight fiscal times, aren't there more productive ways to spend scarce resources? Perhaps these public systems, many of whom are curtailing course offerings and turning away students, should invest that money in raising the graduation rates of low-income students or providing the less fortunate with access to a world-class education. For the $1.02 million that SUNY spent on lobbying in 2011, Stony Brook could have enrolled 194 New Yorkers tuition-free.
With all eyes on for-profits, we lose sight of the fact that the weaknesses in our higher education system are not unique to a particular tax status. The for-profits didn't invent higher education lobbying. They simply learned from the best: America's beloved public and nonprofit universities.