> So much of that money goes toward things like sports teams, climbing walls, emotional support dogs, and other things that just don't have to be a part of the

> So much of that money goes toward things like sports teams, climbing walls, emotional support dogs, and other things that just don't have to be a part of the college experience. Just to nit-pick (I agree with everything else), but athletic department finances are usually separate from the rest of the university, at least in D1 sports. And, having a good football or basketball team will increase applications and enrollment (e.g. see the 2nd sentence in http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2005/02/applications.html http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2005/02/appli...). I think the thought is that if a university doesn't have these amenities, their enrollment will decrease and be lost to those that do. It is a vicious cycle.