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…

This study creates a measurement of Title IV funding influence on the institutional financial health of religious higher education institutions. It justifies a method, grounded in financial accounting standards, of using publically available data sources for calculating the Composite Financial Index metric to gauge institutional financial health;…

Alignment of revenues and expenses at small, private, nonprofit colleges and universities is a growing challenge for leadership at these institutions. The purpose of this action research study was to investigate what strategies the researcher's university has implemented to potentially lead itself to financial sustainability. Participants and data…

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…

The purpose of this study was to understand the strength of the relationship between commitment, trust, satisfaction, involvement, and stewardship activities and donor retention as measured by lapsed giving, repeat giving, increased giving, and planned giving. The goal of the study was to support with data the key variables that impact donor…

The long-term financial viability of private higher education has been a topic of concern for some time, with experts predicting their decline. This concern has been exacerbated by declining enrollment, mounting deficits, and a wave of closures among small private institutions. Demographic changes, including declining high school graduate…

The purpose of this study is to understand how strategy and strategic decision-making have contributed to financial strength at those small, private, non-profit, less-selective, tuition-dependent institutions with small endowments that have established financial stability. Interviews were conducted of participants at three institutions, including…

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…

The practice of enrollment management at America's colleges and universities is central to prominent discussions taking place in the public arena about the cost of higher education, the value of a degree, and the role of student loans as tools to finance a college education. While research has explored many variables within the context of using…

This study examines how Chief Student Affairs Officers (CSAO) make sense of their role engaging with fundraising at small, private, liberal arts institutions with endowments below the median endowment size of $140.2 million. Specifically examining how they make sense of engaging with fundraising and how they have gained knowledge or experience in…

As populist forces stretch apart higher education and government, colleges lobby in measurable ways to secure scarce funding and respond to accountability regulations. The non-profit and corporate lobbying literature provides a basis of comparison to ask if colleges lobby like corporations, which have been successful lobbyists under challenging…

The transition of a college or university president is inevitable. Presidential tenure is becoming shorter and turnover becoming more commonplace at private and public higher educational institutions. Thriving higher education institutions rely on effective leadership to navigate critical areas such as enrollment, financial health, and…

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…

The influence of online education on higher education fundraising practices and giving patterns is not well understood. This qualitative case study explored how fundraising managers perceived the impact of online education on higher education fundraising. To explore this phenomenon, the researcher interviewed fundraising managers at private,…

With the cost of student debt surpassing credit card debt, those students who default on their student loans are not only affected but the colleges and universities they attended are affected as well. The purpose of this study is to compare default rates before and after the amendment to the Higher Education Act of 2008. This study will identify…