Capital appropriations are an important but often forgotten component of the public contribution to funding higher education. In fiscal year 2021, nearly $13 billion was appropriated for capital projects at public institutions, representing 11.6% of the total state contribution to higher education. When compared to general operating support and…

Louisiana's performance-based funding (PBF) policy is one of the most recent implementations of performance funding established by a state for accountability purposes. Instead of examining direct academic outcomes, this study focuses on tuition increase as an (un)intended outcome of PBF implementation. We use data from multiple sources to create a…

This study investigates the relationship between state appropriations and master's degree (MA) enrollment at public master's universities from 1992-93 to 2014-15. Two competing theoretical perspectives emerge. Resource dependence theory argues that public universities have a financial incentive to grow MA enrollment following declines in state…

Many critics consider public institution presidents' compensation to be excessive, while others argue the money yields a return on investment in private fundraising and state appropriations. Our study asks whether presidential compensation at public, four-year institutions is associated with increased institutional revenue from state…

Does fielding a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) program help an institution of higher education obtain aid in the form of state appropriations? Two published studies have found some evidence of a positive correlation between having an FBS-level football program and the amount of appropriations received by public universities. This study looked to…

What explains the different levels of tuition and financial aid observed in the United States? This study hypothesizes that state-level political characteristics account for much of the variation observed. Of particular importance are the ideology of state legislators and the relative influence of public and private institutions. Estimates of a…

This article examines debt burden among college graduates and contributes to previous research by incorporating institutional and state characteristics. Utilizing a combination of national datasets and zero-one inflated beta regression, we find several major themes. First, family income and college experiences are strongly associated with the…

This longitudinal study examines factors that explain differences in levels of state appropriations for higher education across states, sectors, and institutions between 1984 and 2004. The study sheds light on the complex relationship between institutional mission, state fiscal health, and state political context in explaining appropriations for…

This study uses panel data to examine the direct link between state funding and graduation rates at 4-year public institutions. We find some evidence for a positive association between state funding and college graduation rates. When other factors are held constant, a 10% increase in state appropriations per full-time equivalent (FTE) student at…

College leaders and policymakers benefit by understanding the relationship between increases in private giving, changes in state appropriations and how to position the institution to maximize both sources of revenue. Anecdotal and attitudinal studies suggested that fundraising success may affect state funding of higher education institutions.…

No empirical studies have attempted to explain why states invest differentially in their research and in their non-research universities, although these differences hold important implications for students, postsecondary systems, and society. Deploying a form of hierarchical-linear modeling, our study examines across-state variation in state…

Since the 1980's, the tuition at public colleges and universities has increased at a rate far beyond that of normal inflation. During this period, many public institutions have increased their tuitions exponentially, while others have chosen or been able to retain stable and relatively inexpensive tuition rates. The aim of this study was to…