Performance funding policies for higher education allocate appropriations to public institutions based on student outcomes such as degree completions. This study investigates whether a special science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) incentive in 13 state performance funding policies leads to greater undergraduate degree…

Public higher education produces many benefits that are vital to the New England economy, but it is increasingly at risk following years of state budget cuts. In 2017 in New England, real per-student state funding for higher education was lower than it was in 2008, with a double-digit decline in each of the region's states except Maine. States…

This exploratory phenomenological study examined the experiences of four high-achieving first-generation men (HAFGM) from rural Maine and the critical influences that have helped them succeed in their undergraduate studies. This study viewed HAFGM from an appreciative inquiry standpoint rather than a deficit model. Four key themes emerged: (1)…