Higher Education or Hidden Empire?

Why We Need to Reclaim the Mission Behind America’s Universities

Billions! Who knew America’s Universities were getting that kind of money from the government? 

We say we’re funding higher education in America.

But are we?

When you peel back the layers, what we’re actually doing is propping up research empires, bloated administrations, and multi-billion-dollar endowment machines. Somewhere along the line, education stopped being the main thing. And now we’re watching the effects of that shift play out on our children—and on our country’s future.

It’s Not Just About Tuition—It’s About Priorities

Colleges today operate more like corporations than classrooms.

They chase federal research contracts, grow their endowments, and manage investment portfolios like Wall Street firms. Meanwhile, tuition keeps climbing—not because education costs more, but because student loans are easy to get. The institutions know the money is available, so they raise the price.

Students are buried in debt before they get their first real job—and most never realize that the cost of college was driven more by access to financing than by quality instruction.

Where’s the Money Going?

It’s not going to professors.

The professor-to-student ratio is shrinking at many schools, and more courses are taught by adjuncts—qualified educators working for low pay, no benefits, and often no long-term security. While these dedicated teachers hold the classroom together, a top-heavy administrative structure absorbs more and more of the budget.

The number of middle managers, assistant deans, diversity officers, and vice provosts has exploded over the last two decades. And their salaries often far exceed those of the people actually doing the teaching.

Endowments: The Elephant in the Room

Some universities are sitting on billions in endowments. You’d think that would mean more student scholarships, reduced tuition, or increased access for lower-income families.

But it doesn’t.

Most of that money is tied up in long-term investments, earmarked for projects that don’t help struggling students today. Managing the endowment has become a bigger priority than managing student success.

Foreign Influence and the Price Our Nation Pays

Let’s also acknowledge the growing role of foreign donations and admissions. Wealthy international families often make large contributions to colleges in hopes of securing spots for their children. I’m not against international students. I’m against American students getting pushed aside in their own institutions.

We’re educating the world’s elite—while our own kids are taking on debt, dropping out, or missing opportunities they were promised.

This comes at a high price.

If we don’t invest in our own, we lose the next generation of leaders in business, education, and government.

Some Schools Are Trying to Survive

To be fair, not every college is guilty. Some smaller universities and regional colleges are doing all they can to stay afloat, keep costs low, and remain focused on the mission of education. But they’re not the ones pulling in billions from the government and endowments.

The ones who are?

They’ve drifted far from the reason we funded them in the first place.

It’s Time to Reclaim the Mission

We can’t keep calling this “education” if it’s not centered on the student.

We can’t keep burying our kids in debt while administrators cash six-figure checks and endowments sit untouched.

And we can’t keep letting foreign influence edge out our children—because one day, we’ll wake up and realize we trained everyone else’s leaders but our own.

It’s time for accountability.

It’s time to get back to the mission.