Amid rising tuition, some members of Congress want to know how private universities use their massive endowments. The lawmakers recently sent a letter to a number of schools, including Rice, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Christian University, asking for a response.
To learn more, we ask Houston Chronicle higher education reporter Benjamin Wermund what prompted the request and what lawmakers heard in reply.
Then, we discuss the relationship between tuition and university endowments from South Texas College of Law Professor Bruce McGovern. He’s also a vice president and associate dean for academic administration at the school.
MORE: Rice Among Schools Facing Questions Over Massive Endowments (Houston Chronicle, March 21, 2016)