University leaders do not have sufficient tools easily available to guide their decision-making related to institutional financial wellbeing. Currently, many financial indicators used by leaders of tuition-dependent higher education institutions are not focused on vital metrics such as liquidity and cash earnings. The twofold purpose of this…

The purpose of this non-experimental study was to utilize a resource dependence theory (RDT) conceptual framework to examine differences between quality, affordability, and undergraduate enrollment based on private nonprofit four-year colleges and universities' (PCUs) institutional characteristics from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data…

The purpose of this quantitative correlational-predictive study was to determine to what extent, if any, instructional costs and student services costs together and separately predict retention rates in the state of Texas in private postsecondary institutions. Based on Tinto's theory of institutional departure, the predictor variables were…

The purpose of this correlational study was to explore if there was a relationship between the amount of tuition reimbursement, partnership benefits, and turnover intention at the partner organizations of a mid-size, private, non-profit university in the Midwest United States. It also examined if other factors, like tenure within an organization,…

This purpose of this qualitative exploratory study was to identify culturally relevant fundraising strategies that can empower leaders of public, under-resourced, tuition dependent HBCUs on how to effectively reduce tuition dependence. University presidents and advancement professionals face a growing dilemma of identifying ways to strengthen…

Across the United States, colleges and universities must dynamically respond to changes in population demographics and demand in order to meet enrollment goals. As institutions have adapted to a shifting educational landscape, tuition discounting has become a prevalent mechanism utilized within strategic enrollment management. While many students…

There has been a decline in tuition revenue for some private historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs); an above-average tuition discount rate may impede the financial performance of private HBCUs. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of business officers and other employees of…

The discrepancies in college enrollment based on a student's socioeconomic background challenges the upward mobility of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Jesuit colleges and universities, guided by Catholic Social Teaching and their own focus on social justice, are uniquely positioned to facilitate the social mobility of the…

For the past two to three decades, many private colleges and universities have derived enrollment and revenue benefits from ever-increasing listed tuition and institutional aid, in the absence of ever-increasing student demand. These benefits have led many institutions to set very high listed tuition prices and provide widespread institutional aid…

Institutions of higher education must better understand and meet the needs of commuter students, so commuters are more likely to persist and graduate. The purpose of this study was to identify the specific factors that influence a commuter student's decision to remain enrolled by answering two questions: (1) What is the lived experience of a…

This dissertation studies the market for higher education and impacts of higher education policy on the market. In the first chapter, I estimate the short-run elasticity of supply of higher education using the rollout of state merit grant programs as plausibly exogenous variation in student demand for in-state higher education. I find that public…

Tuition discounting has been a long-standing practice among colleges and universities. Its roots can be traced to the beginnings of the 1970s, and its use has continued to increase and expand in the decades following. However, despite its widespread use, the research is inconclusive whether tuition discounting has been an effective strategy to…

Tuition resets decrease an institution's published tuition price to more closely align it with the actual net price most students pay. The strategy is employed to increase the institution's applicant pool, yielding more admits with the ultimate goal of increasing enrollment and net revenue for the institution. The research project examined…

The purpose of this quantitative research study was to examine the enrollment trends of racial minority and low socioeconomic enrollment, and the equity of higher education access at a four-year private institution in western Pennsylvania. The study concentrated on two student populations over a five-year period at a four-year private institution…

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), there were 3,982 degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the United States in the 2019-2020 school year. Of these, 1,625 were public institutions and another 1,660 were private, nonprofit institutions (four-year and two-year schools). The private, nonprofit sector plays an…