As the United States creeps ever closer to defaulting on its debts for the first time in history, industries everywhere are beginning to feel the effects of this crisis on their finances. According to the Des Moines Register, funding for Iowa State University has decreased by a total of 12 percent, as federal and state grants usually given to the school have been frozen by authorities. The same can also be said for other Iowa schools.
"We know that we're in line for a number of large grants," said Sharron Quisenberry, vice president for research and economic development at ISU. "They've been awarded but not released."
The school recently announced that, when compared to last year, the amount of money it has so far received through grants and donations is $50 million less than the year before, stated the news provider. However, funding is a critical concern for the university, as it may need to upgrade its educational technology to keep pace with other land grant universities. Accordingly, teachers are now noticing the effects of educational technology, such as an interactive whiteboard, a STEM computer program or a classroom projector, on student learning.
However, if the funding remains frozen, educational technology may be the least of ISU's worries.
"We continue to strive to be as competitive as we can, but they're talking about cutting trillions, and they're going to have to cut from everywhere," said the University of Iowa's Jordan Cohen.
