Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

I knew from previous articles about the massive endowments held by private universities like Harvard and Stanford. But here's something I didn't know: "the top 10 schools in terms of assets have about $180 billion... None of that money, nor the gains on it are taxed. As non-profit entities, neither are the extensive land holdings of the nation's colleges and universities. Such benefits account for $41,000 in hidden taxpayer subsidies per student annually, on average, at the top 10 wealthiest private universities." Maybe it's time to revisit the question of why the wealthiest students get the largest subsidy from the taxpayer. It certainly puts the debates that I take part in - like, for example, the 'sustainability' of free and open educational resources. What is the 'sustainability' of the Harvard subsidy? Via Bryan Alexander.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Mar 29, 2024 03:37 a.m.

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