They derive funds from non-resident students through tuition, fees, and room and board charges that are then spent within the state. Non-resident students and their parents also spend money for restaurants, motels, clothing, recreation, etc. The universities also attract significant amounts of non-state money for student aid and for the support of their research and outreach programs. Money from non-resident students makes it possible to balance enrollments and offer a wider range of programs to resident students, and lowers the net cost of university operations to the state. Students also provide an important source of intelligent and inexpensive labor to the work force while they pursue their degrees, and they volunteer in large numbers for many community service projects.
Teaching is a fundamental mission of the universities.
Students who earn a baccalaureate degree today can expect to earn much more in their lifetimes than their counterparts with only a high school diploma. Whether they become small business owners, engineers, health care or social services professionals, teachers, elected officials, or corporate leaders, because so many land-grant university students remain within their states after graduation, they play an important role in the social and economic success of the state. The universities also play an important role in training and retraining the workforce of the states through continuing education and extension courses, special conferences and workshops, and training programs. The land-grant universities provide technical knowledge and technical assistance to large and small businesses throughout the state. Perhaps the oldest formal program designed for this purpose is cooperative extension, and there are also the agricultural experiment stations, small business development centers, and many other program examples.