<p>If Pitt were to follow the Cornell model, which schools would get state money and which would not? Perhaps Pitt’s ‘prestige’ schools that get substantial Federal grant funding could go private with the others linked back to the state via contract like Cornell does. Done smartly, it could very well work to keep a number (but alas fewer) state residents educated at discounted rates while increasing in prestige (many students like to go to more selective schools than Pitt because they are inherently more selective) and attracting top talent.</p>