Public Higher Education (PHE) reflects a drastic reduction in funding to subsidize its day-to-day functioning, increasing dependence on tuition fees to be operational, the existence of outdated government funding policies, and the lack of a sustainable funding mechanism. Notwithstanding, the plethora of research attempting to understand different…

Public colleges and universities are a key driver of social and economic mobility, yet they also face increasingly challenging financial and political environments. In this essay, I discuss four key areas in which state higher education policy can influence student success and equity: the amount of funding provided, funding allocation mechanisms,…

New America and the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) partnered to track responses of state higher education agencies and systems on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected state funding for public higher education. The pandemic has depressed economic activity and led to increased costs for states, both of which can…

To understand increases in student share of net tuition for state colleges and universities, resulting from state financial decreases in support for higher education, a quantitative, longitudinal, multi-level analysis of data from all 50 states in the USA from 1992 to 2013 was examined. Five hypotheses related to (1) growth in student share of net…

Nebraska is committed to measuring its progress toward achieving the major statewide goals through national comparisons and institutional peer comparisons. It is the aim of the "Comprehensive Plan" that, when rank order is appropriate, Nebraska will rank among the ten best states in national comparisons, and individual public…

Nebraska is committed to measuring its progress toward achieving the major statewide goals through national comparisons and institutional peer comparisons. It is the aim of the "Comprehensive Plan" that, when rank order is appropriate, Nebraska will rank among the ten best states in national comparisons, and individual public…

Analysis of tuition and fees at public colleges and universities in Virginia must include a discussion of the funding received from the General Assembly. The period covered by this report represents a particularly complicated scenario that impacted not just higher education but all entities that receive general fund tax dollars in Virginia. The…

Since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, public colleges and universities have prioritized the health and safety of students, faculty, staff and visitors while continuing to offer an exceptional, affordable learning environment. Public higher education has been agile and responsive. In March 2020, the state system institutions transitioned more…

The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL System), under the governance of its Board of Trustees, operates as a strong public university system with eight distinct, mission-driven- universities, and enhances the quality of life of Mississippians by effectively meeting their diverse educational needs. In so doing, the IHL system will be…

American Association of State Colleges and Universities' (AASCU's) public policy agenda, rooted in an uncompromising commitment to opportunity for the nation's students, is expressed through the following core principles: (1) Higher education is a common good that provides significant benefits to individuals and society as a whole; (2) America's…

This paper examines the redistribution impact of public higher education in California and Wisconsin. The focus is on state, rather than federal, subsidies and the undergraduate level. A study of the operation of the California higher education system indicates that income from poor and lower-middle income families is redistributed to upper-middle…

This document presents the results of a survey of the legal composition of state coordinating or governing agencies and public institutional governing boards in post-secondary education. The listings are by (1) state, state agency, and boards; (2) legal bases, whether statutory or constitutional; (3) composition, including the number of board…

Recent state appropriations for higher education in Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont are tabulated. Governors in all those states signed spending bills for higher education. (MLW)

A national survey helped Towson State College campare its scholarship program with those of other institutions. (Editor)

A re-published version of the 1959 "The Efficiency of Freedom," Report of the Committee on Government and Higher Education is presented. After a 2-year study (designed to define relationships that should properly exist between public officials and state institutions of higher education, identify the principal areas in which state control…