Impacts to postsecondary institutions' enrollment and financial positions that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic were examined in this study. Taking a quantitative observational approach, enrollment trends as they relate to changes in tuition and fee revenue, unrestricted cash on hand, and unrestricted investments held are analyzed to determine…

Higher education has long been seen as a vehicle for social mobility for individuals and an engine for national advancement. Yet, over the years, as governments worldwide have faced competing priorities and declining revenues due to economic challenges, funding for post-secondary institutions has been negatively impacted. For example, in the…

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 purpose of this study was to examine and analyze the decision-making and policy development of local governing boards acting in response to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Quantitative and qualitative data was gathered through open-ended items in a mixed-methods survey and through a focus group interview. This research sought to…

This research evaluates the role of urban universities in economic growth. The study employed inherently rich data from IPEDS to create a panel dataset aggregated at the county level for 1065 colleges and universities in the Middle Atlantic region of the US. Using linear regression analysis, this study found that increases in expenditure per…

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…

Higher education institutions play a key role in achieving sustainable development and creating a pathway toward a sustainable future by reducing the adverse impact that campus operations have on the environment and make positive contributions to society by conducting research and teaching students, faculty, staff, and the community about…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study was to describe the perceptions of high school principals and teachers related to how inequitable distribution of federal and state educational funds between low- and high-income schools resulted in disparities in educational outcomes in two low socioeconomic status high schools in the…

The evolution of school finance has become increasingly more complex, and accountability and transparency of spending decisions toward academic outcomes have increased, leading to more demands on the superintendent (Bjork & Kowalski, 2005; Kowalski, 2013; Ramirez, 2013). This has led to evolution of the role of the superintendent position in…

The study delves into the utilization of ESSER III funds, revealing three central themes: top-down decision-making in fund application, varied experiences among educators and administrators in fund usage, and distinct roles of educators and administrators in the process. It emphasizes strategic resource allocation, collaborative decision-making,…

The purpose of this dissertation is to understand how and why different state financial aid policy designs have developed, with particular attention to external influences, and what effect those design choices have on student outcomes. In the first essay, I use the theoretical framework of diffusion to understand the design and adoption of…

This quantitative, correlational-predictive study was performed using publicly available archival data to determine if and to what extent post-COVID-19 relief funding (ESSER III) received by the Arizona public school districts in the 2021-2022 school year had a statistically significant impact on the English Language Arts (ELA) assessment during…

In this dissertation I use modern microeconomic methods to examine the impact of K-12 education policy interventions on student outcomes. In the first chapter I explore how increased funding for school policing and sentiment surrounding school policing can have downstream effects on student discipline, and how these effects vary by student and…

The purpose of this evaluation was to provide descriptive feedback to assist coordinators of the Alabama Community College System's (ACCS) outcome-based funding (OBF) model in conducting a formative needs assessment. Employing a quasi-experimental design, this evaluation utilized both the CIPP decision-oriented and Stake's participant-oriented…

This dissertation investigates the complex connections among loan debt burden, student experiences, and post-bachelor's outcomes, situated within the framework of systemic disparities in educational funding and opportunities. It identifies declines in state funding across educational levels as a systemic and politicized issue, disproportionately…