overview
project director
Dr. John J. Cheslock
Welcome to the Net Tuition Revenue Number (NTRN) Project website!
This is a one-person endeavor, so the site content reflects my voice and perspective. (That said, you’ll also hear from collaborators in some of the included research papers.)
I’m a professor of Education Policy Studies at Penn State. Over the past 25 years—as an administrator, researcher, and educator—I’ve focused on three interrelated challenges in U.S. higher education:
The financial sustainability of colleges and universities
The access and affordability barriers facing students
The pricing structures that shape both
These challenges are often difficult to discuss because of their complexity and the tough trade-offs they involve. The NTRN Project aims to make these issues easier for everyone to understand—and in doing so, to support more informed conversations about the future of higher education. This site offers a range of resources for different audiences to help meet that goal.
A brief bio and my CV are available on the Penn State website.
Resources
General Resources
Many people care deeply about the future of higher education. College and university leaders and professionals want to understand the financial, affordability, and access challenges facing their institutions. Given the public and private resources invested in higher education, policymakers, taxpayers, students, and families also have a stake in these issues.
This website includes resources designed to make the system’s complexities more understandable:
The Core Idea page unpacks the project’s name and the dilemma at the heart of its content.
The Specific Topics page offers explainers that explore key aspects of college finances, pricing, and enrollment.
The Influences page highlights books, articles, and podcasts that shaped the NTRN Project.
For Researchers
The NTRN project also offers resources for researchers working on related issues:
The Research page features my own research papers.
The Data Resources page provides data tools and measurement guidance.
Supporters
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