The Education Marketplace

Higher education carries a huge price tag. As fees and tuition continue to rise, so does the number of students asking the question, “Is a college education worth it?” According to a recent survey by the College Board, over the past five years, tuition at public four-year colleges is up 27 percent beyond overall inflation. At private schools, the average student’s cost has risen 13 percent beyond overall inflation. Tuition has increased as state funding has decreased, placing the burden directly on families who are now asking the question… has a college education become a luxury that our family cannot afford?

Despite limited funds, colleges still need to provide the services and pay the bills. Adding to the budgeting headache at many of our colleges and universities is President Obama’s plan to evaluate colleges on criteria such as tuition, enrollment of low-income students and student debt incurred — and then tie these ratings to federal aid received. Providing a quality education and creating a world-class learning environment can be a challenge. What is even more of a challenge is accomplishing this without raising tuition. The only way to do it — make every dollar count!

Our September issue is designed to help institutions get the most for their money by helping them evaluate suppliers and examine the wide range of options available to them. College Planning & Management’s Education Marketplace is the most comprehensive directory of products, services and suppliers for education. This year’s directory contains product information from nearly 2,000 suppliers to the education market. To make it easier to use, products are sorted by category, then sub-category. For example, under the main category “Safety and Security,” you will find sub-categories for access control systems, alarms, surveillance cameras, etc.

The Products Index can be found starting on page 13. Find the product category you are interested in, and then flip to the designated page for a list of companies that provide this product. Full contact information for all suppliers in the directory can be found in the Suppliers Index that begins on page 70. The suppliers with bold or enhanced listings support the publication of this guide through their advertising dollars. Product Showcases, starting on page 111, will give you more detailed information about the products and services available to you. To round out this information resource, we have included an article on effective procurement teams that begins on page 8.

Also, the contents of this Buyers’ Guide are available 24/7 on the Education Marketplace website at www.EducationMarketplace.com. If you don’t find what you’re looking for in these pages, new products and suppliers are added to this online, searchable Marketplace almost daily.

Options abound, and you can find them here in this issue — an issue you will use all year long!

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management September 2013 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Enjoy Tax and Energy Savings with the Right Ceiling Solutions

    Thanks to recent innovations pairing mineral fiber ceiling panels with phase change material technology (PCM), architects, designers, facility managers, and other key players in construction and renovation projects are re-thinking the role ceilings play in supporting environmental objectives—especially energy savings.

  • Lewis C. Cassidy Elementary School

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Lewis C. Cassidy Elementary School has been recognized with an EDS 2025 Grand Prize award in the category of New Construction.

  • cutaway view of a modern school building, showing various rooms and zones

    Layering AI into HVAC Systems Shows Reduction in Carbon Emissions

    Heating and cooling systems are just one of the many new ways that AI can be integrated into schools. According to a new study from Schneider Electric's Sustainability Research Institute, AI-powered HVAC systems in schools can lead to significant carbon emissions savings.

  • Embry-Riddle Breaks Ground on New Office Building

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Fla., recently announced that construction has begun on a new office building for its campus Research Park, according to a news release. The university partnered with Hoar Construction on the 34,740-square-foot Center for Aerospace Technology II (CAT II), which will be used for research and lab purposes.

Digital Edition