No stranger to raising the issue of accountability and nonprofits, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is taking on the higher ups.  The higher ed ups, that it is.  The Senate Finance Committee is asking for wealthy colleges and universities, those with significant endowments in their back pocket, to show a bit more transparency and explain rising education costs.  Why’s that?  Well, a recent report that declared a record 76 colleges and universities achieved endowments of $1 billion or more in the last fiscal year probably had something to do with it.  Similar to restrictions imposed on nonprofits, the committee is asking for universities to spend 5% of their endowment, preferably on tuition assistance programs to assist rising tuition costs, or face losing their nonprofit tax status.  Voices in response are showing up all over the place—like here, here, and even here.   One reason, among many, why university officials and critics disagree with the call from the Senate Committee, is that donations to endowments are often earmarked for particular areas or issues.  Sounds familiar.  Maybe because New York Times reporter Stephanie Strom recently wrote about the problems the Red Cross and others face donations are earmarked as a way of assuring donors that their money is going to exactly where they want it to go.  The accountability bug is popping up all over the place.  This week, its endowments who are facing the music.