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…

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) leads a Mission Growth Working Group, which consists of states that are significantly impacted by the growth of military bases. The group includes state representatives appointed by the governors of Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,…

This study addresses the fundamental question, "Are Kentucky's public community and technical colleges training enough students with the relevant skills to fill job openings in Kentucky's middle-skill jobs?" By examining student interests in occupational programs, labor market demand for trained middle-skill employees, and their…

The need for veterinarians and the capacity of the South for providing veterinary medical education are examined. Summarized are eight current veterinary medical education programs in the region and planned developments in education (in Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Arkansas). Projected are the effects of the…

Concern about the adequacy of existing optometry schools to meet the needs and demands for optometric education in the South prompted a study, to result in a proposal for expansion of education in the field. The results showed that there is a shortage of optometrists in each of the 14 states of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) region,…

Kentucky is a state of extreme contrasts in virtually every area of human endeavor. Although it is a southern state, its black population is small and growing very slowly. The rich and the poor people are unequally distributed throughout the state. Because only half of the adults possess a high school diploma, one can assume that many Kentuckians…