The Great Recession was an economic downturn that ranged from December 2007 to June 2009 and was caused by the global financial crisis and the downturn of the U.S. housing market. In this collection, explore how politics and the economy affected higher education in Minnesota and national. Through this curated archival audio, listen to MPR News reporters as they travel to various higher education institutions to talk to college students about how they feel about the economy, meet with families to discuss their financial hardships, and report on what politicians, including President Barack Obama, had to say about the matter.
January 24, 2008 - MPR's Gary Eichten interviews Louis Johnston, an economics professor at St. John's University and the College of St. Benedict, to discuss the tumultuous economy. Eichten also talks to MPR’s chief economics correspondent Chris Farrell to analyze the situation.
February 8, 2008 - MPR’s Nanci Olesen talks with parents and students about what it is like to be away from one another while in college.
March 18, 2008 - MPR’s Art Hughes reports on Minnesota colleges and universities endowment growth, as well as tuition hike ups.
March 20, 2008 - MPR’s Kerri Miller interviews multiple education experts on the rise of tuition and how that is also affecting endowments. While college tuition continues to rise, a record 76 colleges and universities have achieved endowments of $1 billion or more. Some members of Congress are putting more scrutiny on those endowments, and asking whether schools should use their endowment money to moderate tuition increases.
April 9, 2008 - MPR’s Art Hughes meets with Spencer Anderson and discusses his business endeavor and how he and his family are paying for his current education at University of Minnesota. Hughes also interviews financial officers for their take on student loans and the economy.
May 1, 2008 - May 1st is the traditional decision deadline for high school seniors to make their college decisions. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes talked with students at North High School in Minneapolis about how they made their decisions for college.
August 25, 2008 - MPR’s Elizabeth Baier interviews Augsburg College Student, Juventino Meza, a first generation college student.
September 2, 2008 - College is a job for student, but many also have other part-time or full-time jobs to help pay for tuition. With funding for students their colleges are scarce in difficult financial economies, these side jobs become even more important for keeping students in college.
November 24, 2008 - College investment officers are responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars in investments, which is money that colleges rely on to operate. How are they handling the financial crisis?
November 24, 2008 - MPR’s Kerri Miller interviews Arthur Levine, President of the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, and Vincent Tinto, Professor at Syracuse University, on the cost of high education.