New reports suggest that 25 percent of private colleges are spending more than they are taking in.

A new financial report from Moody’s Investors Services says that 25 percent of private colleges spent more than they earned in 2017. This is despite the overall growth in tuition revenue. According to the report, smaller private colleges are facing the most serious financial difficulty.

It is unclear exactly where private colleges are spending their money. With tuition fees are record highs, Americans want to know that the colleges that they send their sons and daughters to are responsibly spending the tuition checks that they receive each semester. Perhaps permanently ending academic departments that are driven by ideology rather than by a pursuit of truth would be a good start to rectifying this issue. That would mean no more “Women’s and Gender Studies” and the increasingly mandatory “Social Justice 101” seminar for freshmen.

Are we due for an evolution in higher education? Some students are choosing to forego the traditional higher education experience altogether — like opting for online alternatives. Others are turning to trade and apprenticeship programs that allow them to earn money as they learn a skill that they can develop into a lucrative career.