In the eyes of the law, private colleges are just like charities. Just like any other nonprofit, private colleges and universities provide a public service. And because they serve the public good, they are exempt from certain federal and state taxes. But that rationale doesn’t always sit well. The wealthiest universities have tens of billions of dollars in their endowments -- so why, critics wonder, shouldn’t they pay taxes? “There’s a pushback in different sectors around the country around the tax-exempt status of colleges and universities,” said Richard Jacob, Yale University’s associate vice president for federal and state relations. “It’s a worrisome trend.”

May 3, 2016 ・ From Inside Higher Ed