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Chris Marsicano

@chrismarsicano.com

2.2K followers 2.1K following 270 posts

Davidson College professor | Director, College Crisis Initiative (C2i)| Studies #highered #edpolitics & #edpolicy | PhD, Vanderbilt | MPP, Duke | Whatever we used to call tweets ≠ Endorsements

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Chris Marsicano @chrismarsicano.com · 5d

One of the greatest moments in college football history. I think Sam Snideman has a screenshot. It was glorious.

Reposted by Chris Marsicano

Russ Frankenstein (no relation) @russ41.bsky.social · Jul 18

Time for another fundraiser.

This weekend, I will donate $0.50 to @boltsmag.org AND @mississippifreepress.org for EACH of:
- every new Bluesky follower I get
- every new Bluesky follower THEY get
- everyone who reposts this post

Repost this, follow me, and follow both of them = I donate $4 total.

Chris Marsicano @chrismarsicano.com · Jun 30

I was terrifyingly bad at this…

Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · Jun 30

Parents: Give this quiz to your school-aged kids. And then share it with your own aging parents. You might all learn how to better spot fakes. And you'll definitely learn why, in the age of AI, we have to be more cautious in trusting our eyes.

Laura Carroll @lauracarroll88.bsky.social · Jun 29

"The quiz...is a warning. If citizens can’t tell what’s real, how can we preserve trust in elections, journalism, education—or daily life?...isn’t just about innovation; it’s about protecting civil rights, public safety, and democratic trust." Reader EMHinMI www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Chris Marsicano @chrismarsicano.com · Jun 29

And it probably would’ve eventually been challenged in court on first amendment grounds.

Chris Marsicano @chrismarsicano.com · Jun 29

Grassley, not Ernst. ;)

And I know *you* know how all this works, but there are many who are going to chalk this win up to Michael Roth.

Chris Marsicano @chrismarsicano.com · Jun 29

Yes - shifting the count to all students AND making them tuition-paying students gives schools wiggle room. Schools can shift from partial aid to full aid to game the tax. Bad for middle class, not for colleges.

Some schools doing this already: lawprofessors.typepad.com/nonprofit/20...

Nonprofit Law Prof Blog

Information about the Law Professor Blogs Network.

lawprofessors.typepad.com

Chris Marsicano @chrismarsicano.com · Jun 29

Also fair to say that schools in red and purple states helped make this happen. Boston’s economy is just fine without BU, hard to make the case that Grinnell, IA, Davidson, NC, and McPherson, KS would be fine without their namesake colleges being financial healthy.

Chris Marsicano @chrismarsicano.com · Jun 29

Let’s just say that Berea is a good institutional citizen and had no problem lending a hand to the schools you’ve mentioned and others.

Chris Marsicano @chrismarsicano.com · Jun 29

And some schools that aren’t Ivy Plus but really want to be angered both legislators AND fellow schools.

Chris Marsicano @chrismarsicano.com · Jun 29

If you guys want all the lobbying stories… I have them.

The Ivies weren’t the ones who made the biggest differences. It was the small colleges coalition, Berea, and Hillsdale.

Chris Marsicano @chrismarsicano.com · Jun 29

Primarying Tillis may be a lot harder than the President realizes. www.theassemblync.com/politics/sen...

Chris Marsicano @chrismarsicano.com · Jun 24

Well... I think it is clear the President is losing patience with Israel and Iran.

www.wsj.com/video/trump-...

Trump Says Iran, Israel ‘Don’t Know What the F— They’re Doing’

President Trump scolded Israel for striking Iran and angrily accused both sides of violating a cease-fire.

Chris Marsicano @chrismarsicano.com · Jun 21

When you visit, let me know! We’re about to announce some big things that I think might be of interest to a budding political scientist / historian!

Chris Marsicano @chrismarsicano.com · Jun 21

There is still time for a course correction for your son to come to Davidson! No cuts here (so far).

Life here is pretty great!

Chris Marsicano @chrismarsicano.com · Jun 21

This is the face of a man thinking “WTF is this nonsense?!”

Chris Marsicano @chrismarsicano.com · Jun 20

One of my favorite places when we lived there. Fantastic stuff.

Chris Marsicano @chrismarsicano.com · Jun 20

I understand the choice of Juve for a White House visit:

- Iconic team with storied history.
- The only one playing in DC with American players.
- The other teams playing in DC are mostly from the Middle East, which would've presented a messaging challenge.

But still, what an odd conversation.

Chris Marsicano @chrismarsicano.com · Jun 20

I don't think I've ever felt sorry for Juventus before, but I do now. Goodness. This was more than "a bit weird."

thehill.com/homenews/adm...

CC: @marcellograz.bsky.social

Chris Marsicano @chrismarsicano.com · Jun 17

And… ordered.

When does book club begin?

Chris Marsicano @chrismarsicano.com · Jun 16

The current proposal in the Big Beautiful Bill misses its elite, lefty targets and hits students instead. Lawmakers should not tax financial aid; instead, Congress should build incentives that put students first.

#HigherEd #EndowmentTax #FinancialAid

www.kansascity.com/opinion/read...

6/END

Congress targeting the Ivy League hurts low-income college students more | Opinion

Increasing universities’ endowment tax would be much bigger blow to Kansas’ McPherson College than to Harvard or Columbia. | Opinion

www.kansascity.com

Chris Marsicano @chrismarsicano.com · Jun 16

We shouldn't tax endowments; but if we're going to, let's at least do it right.

Want to make college more affordable? Incentive spending on scholarships.

Tax endowments but offer dollar-for-dollar tax credits for institutional financial aid. Reward schools for making education affordable.

5/6

Chris Marsicano @chrismarsicano.com · Jun 16

My research with CJ Ryan (Indiana), Rylie Martin (Duke), and Ann Bernhardt (Texas A&M) shows some schools have already cut aid or raised tuition due to an existing tax. A 10x increase will only make things worse.

📄 Full paper: journals.upress.ufl.edu/ftr/article/...

4/6

Gaming the Endowment Tax | Florida Tax Review

journals.upress.ufl.edu

Chris Marsicano @chrismarsicano.com · Jun 16

Endowments aren’t vaults of unused cash. They generate earnings that fund financial aid. When you tax endowment income, you cut the money available to low- and middle-income students. It’s not a tax on institutions—it’s a tax on students.

3/6

Chris Marsicano @chrismarsicano.com · Jun 16

Sure, elite universities with "woke" reputations like Harvard and Penn would pay more in taxes. But so would Berry College in Georgia and McPherson College in Kansas —small schools using endowments to fund scholarships and student jobs. This tax hits the little guy, not just the Ivy League.

2/6

Chris Marsicano @chrismarsicano.com · Jun 16

Congress is proposing a HUGE increase in the tax on college endowments—up to 21%—to punish elite universities and fund tax cuts.

But the people who’ll really pay the price?

Students.

Here’s my new OpEd with CJ Ryan on the Endowment Tax in the KC Star: www.kansascity.com/opinion/read...

1/6 🧵

Congress targeting the Ivy League hurts low-income college students more | Opinion

Increasing universities’ endowment tax would be much bigger blow to Kansas’ McPherson College than to Harvard or Columbia. | Opinion

www.kansascity.com