<p>^^^ Just to clarify Public Universities do in fact receive tax dollars but those tax $$ pay for a very small percentage of the education of said students. The majority of the cost of higher education is funded through research dollars and to a lesser extent foundation money (private donation). Many faculty (at least in the sciences and engineering) are not paid with state money but are paid out of their sponsored research programs. Because there is such mis-information to the way higher ed is funded many of the state legislators have instituted policies which really are nothing more than to pacify the local constituents who have no clue as to how higher-ed is funded.</p>