Higher Education — Who Pays, Who Benefits, and What Doesn't Add Up

The Daniel Stih Podcast · Apr 28, 2025 · 10m

Billions of dollars flow into higher education every year.

The real question is:

how is that money used—and what problem is it solving?

In this episode, I examine how university funding works, using recent debates around Harvard as a starting point.

We explore:

• Where federal funding for universities comes from

• How those funds are allocated and used

• The tension between public funding and institutional independence

• Why college remains expensive despite large inflows of money

From there, I outline an alternative approach:

what it would look like to redirect funding in a way that expands…