Originally Posted by philly103
Originally Posted by indigo
It is my understanding, and I could be wrong, that when only public schools/universities were taxpayer funded, some segments of the population raised the issue of affordability (lack of access) at private institutions... leading to taxpayer funding for various private institutions.

That would be new information to me (so if you have a link, I'd appreciate it)
Unfortunately, no link, therefore I offered that I could be wrong in my recollection.

Originally Posted by philly103
the needs of those it's "educating"
By needs, do you mean for the students to be workforce ready?

Ironically, in past generations, many children were "workforce ready" as paper boys, store clerks, lifeguards, etc while in middle school and high school. Rather than specialized school programs, they had strong work ethic, a desire to earn on-the-job, and to succeed.

Some may see the needs of the students we are educating as being a need for liberal arts education.