ABSTRACT

A global transformation is underway in the political economy of higher education. Dramatic shifts are taking place in what, where, how, by whom, and to whom higher education services are provided and funded. The transformation will intensify in strength and complexity over succeeding decades, driven by new technology, shifting educational costs, and the changing policies and strategies of nations and universities. Cutting across these forces are new patterns of supply and demand and major changes in both public and private investment that impact who bears the burden of higher education costs. In the industrialized nations of the Global North, a growing portion of that burden has shifted from government to the students who are expected to be the prime beneficiaries of higher educational opportunities.