ENVIRONMENTAL SCANNING FOR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN THE UNITED STATES

Abstract

A college education must become cheaperwithin the next twenty years due to expected inflation causedby the rise in oil prices and an anticipated lower tax payingpopulation growth. The baby boomers will start retiring in2011 when the first boomers turn sixty-five and will thenconstitute twenty-five percent of the total population of theUnited States. The end of the working baby boomers mayamount to less funding for state and federal governments toallocate for education. The current stimulus spending by thefederal government also has caused some economic unrestin the United States. Post secondary educationaladministrators must frequently perform strategicenvironmental scans to respond to financial conditionschanging more rapidly than in any time in United Stateshistory. This paper discusses many of the current issueswhich educators should become familiarized with to ensurecontinued functional higher education programs.Index Terms ⎯ environmental scanning, college education,government funding, financial issues.