The viability of any system depends upon its decision-making and ability to adapt to change. Superintendents, serving as the CFO of their school system, must be able to make ethically sound and fiscally responsible decisions that will ensure the success of their organization. This thesis examined leadership roles and responsibilities of Vermont…

This dissertation investigates the use of the 2015-2020 Tennessee Higher Education Commission's (THEC) outcomes-based funding model (also known as the performance-based or progression rate model) applied to one college in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) during a recessionary period (2007-2009). The VCCS currently employs an…

Student success and graduation rates are a continuing challenge for higher education institutions. A growing number of states connect funding to learning outcomes such as student progression, retention, and graduation rates (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012; Complete College America, 2011; Diamond, 2012). Student attrition and graduation rates…

A four-year college degree is associated with numerous positive outcomes for students, from increased average earning potential to opportunities for personal development. Yet, for individuals with disabilities, large medical bills and other disability-related expenses may make affording college especially difficult. This study used a convergent…

In 2012, Governor Kasich instituted a call-to-action, "Campus leaders throughout Ohio must work together to rethink how the state allocates its investment in our public higher educational facilities." (Ohio Higher Education Capital Funding Commission, 2016). The intent of Governor Kasich was to drive more equitable outcomes and…

This study examined access levels between the three groups of Land-Grant Institutions: the 1862 Morrill Act schools (known as the state flagship universities), the 1890 Morrill Act schools (known as the 1890 Historically Black Colleges and Universities [HBCUs]), and the 1994 Education Act schools (known as the Tribal Colleges and Universities…

This case study explores, from the student perspective, the difficulties and supports that empowers first-generation, female senior undergraduates at a United States (U.S.) 4-year institution of higher education (IHE) in their pursuit of degree attainment. The students denote diverse racial and socioeconomic demographics at the university study…

The decisions that students make about their educational attainment have profound impacts on their future economic, demographic, and social outcomes. These decisions, however, do not happen in a vacuum. There is a long tradition of research in sociology, education, and behavioral economics that has studied inequality in educational decision making…

Increasing higher education enrollment and decreasing state and national funding has created a fiscal problem for higher education institutions in the United States. Differential tuition charged to a variety of subsets of students is increasingly used to close funding gaps. This research uses demand analysis and elasticities to determine…

As the cost of higher education has risen, partly due to the embrace of neoliberalism in higher education, students and families have faced a growing cost-sharing burden. Along with an increased demand for graduate education credentials, this trend has led to the growth of student loan debt in the United States. This narrative case study…

Despite a premise of the "Higher Education Act of 1965" that no student should be denied an opportunity for postsecondary education due to financial constraints, race- and income-based divides persist decades later. Inequities of early childhood and K-12 experiences, along with differing family and community influences and access to…

Mandatory community college student fees have risen steadily over the past 20 years, outpacing the growth of tuition by a substantial margin. To date, research on postsecondary fees has been limited to public four-year colleges and universities, even as community college fees are growing faster and affecting students who are likely more price…

Various determinants have been found to explain the donor status and giving levels of college alumni. Limited research exists on what motivates college alumni to give repeated donations to a higher education institution. The purpose of this study was to determine if commitment and trust significantly related to higher education institutions…

Recent policy efforts in early care and education (ECE) have aimed to ensure that all children have access to high-quality ECE programming. However, there is debate about how to most effectively improve ECE quality at scale. The three papers in this dissertation provide new insights into the impacts of two widely-used policies aimed at improving…

Annual giving is a critical component of funding support for colleges at universities. It provides immediate funding for operations throughout the year for immediate use and provides an entry point for other types of giving. Alumni giving rates for annual gifts are a key factor in receiving corporate gifts, as they are an indicator of recipients…