State-level policy leaders were surveyed in fall 1981 to determine the emerging issues in postsecondary education among the states and to ascertain policy leaders' attitudes toward these issues. A total of 683 surveys were distributed and 214 usable surveys were returned, representing 202 agencies. The overall impressions created by policy leaders' responses are that the quality of education will be the leading issue for the next few years, funding for higher education is losing ground to inflation, and families will be expected to shoulder an increasing proportion of college costs. Additional findings include: overall, 72 percent of postsecondary education policy leaders expect the lag in appropriations to result in tuition increases, 71 percent anticipate maintenance deferral, 71 percent anticipate staff reductions, and 69 percent expect reduced capital outlays; state response to federal student aid cuts will be to pass along the federal cutbacks to families by requiring greater family contributions to the cost of postsecondary education; tuition levels are expected to rise roughly at the rate of inflation; and the five most important issues (not specifically tied to the next budget cycle) were identified as education quality, basic skills and remedial/development programs, physical plant update/replacement, public tuition levels, and the impact of federal student grant policy changes. The distribution of survey respondents by type of position and region is indicated, and samples of survey questions with highlights of responses to these questions are presented. (SW)