Michigan universities are facing what amounts to a perfect storm of economic, demographic and political factors. There are fewer Michigan high school graduates in part due to a declining birth rate, leaving colleges to fight over a smaller pool of potential in-state students. That pool is drained more because a vibrant economy is luring some high school grads to go straight into the job market rather than delay earning a paycheck through years of college. At the same time, there is growing public discontent with higher education, based on rising costs, rising student debt and a belief among some that universities are liberal bastions hostile to conservative thought.
https://www.bridgemi.com/talent-education/fewer-students-tepid-state-funding-roil-michigan-public-universities
