Amidst chronic disparities in per-student resources, how best to construct funding formulas to equitably fund colleges and universities is an enduring policy concern. This brief focuses on a historically overlooked financial mechanism, categorical funding, to examine its role in funding (in)equity. Leveraging illustrative data from four…

Performance-based funding (PBF) models have become increasingly prevalent in higher education. While designed to improve student outcomes, their effectiveness, particularly at community and technical colleges (CTCs), remains uncertain. Given CTCs' crucial role in providing equitable education, understanding PBF's effectiveness is imperative for…

Rural community colleges serve as engines of economic opportunity and equity, offering students place-based programs and pathways that lead to good jobs. They also develop dynamic and responsive industry partnerships, to ensure their workforce education and training curriculum, programs, and transfer pathways meet the needs of local employers and…

In 2011, North Carolina implemented a tiered funding model for community colleges in an attempt to address program cost differentiation. In 2014, the funding model changed from a three-tiered model to a four-tiered model with additional funds for courses that address skills gaps and lead to higher-wage jobs. The purpose of this study was to…

Purpose: This study aims to examine the impact of the Student Centered Funding Formula (SCFF) on a selection of California community colleges that are Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) from the perspective of student services professionals at these colleges to understand the equity implications of the formula for first-generation college…

This publication provides governmental and higher education decision-makers a statewide perspective of Arkansas public higher education finance for the 2021-23 biennium, as well as trends for the past several years. It also contains a detailed financial profile of each institution and presents a basis for comparative assessments of revenue sources…

Community colleges are valued for developing opportunities, supporting students, and transforming communities, yet they are experiencing challenges that have the potential to impact their mission. The changing environment brought about by economic, political, and social development such as funding gaps and fluctuations in student enrollment will…

For the first time in U.S. history, a proposal for nationwide free community college passed through the House of Representatives in the fall of 2021. Although the provision was ultimately dropped from President Joe Biden's Build Back Better bill, its early presence suggests the political appeal of making college accessible to more Americans. These…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to describe how Louisiana Community and Technical Colleges' leadership describes their dependency on external funding sources and its influence on the elimination of program offerings, general operating expenses, and funding of workforce development non-credit education programs in Louisiana.…

This 11th update of the Community College League of California's (CCLC) biennial Tenure and Retention Report includes late summer/early fall 2022 to July 31, 2024. This period witnessed perennial California CEO challenges: economic volatility, burdensome laws and regulations, dysfunctional boards of trustees, State legislative and policymaker…

Even in this endemic period, the California Community Colleges continues to make progress toward meeting its Vision for Success goals, established nearly five years ago to set a path to increase certificate and degree attainment, improve transfer and close equity gaps. This report details the goals outlined in the system's Vision for Success and…

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the use of data for assessing library collection utilization, to explore what tools are available to help guide purchasing decisions, and to create a blueprint for applying percentage-based allocation formulas to community college library collection budgets. Because there is little literature on…

Community colleges play a crucial role in American higher education. As affordable alternatives to four-year universities, they offer a vital pathway to a four-year degree, as well as career and vocational training. Because these colleges also disproportionately serve low-income students and students of color, they are engines of opportunity…

U.S. rural community colleges serve approximately 3.4 million students, yet there is very little research on these institutions. We conducted a mulitple case study to develop a typology of rural community college locations. We gathered and analyzed publicly available data (n = 25) and private institutional data (n = 6) and conducted in-person…

The North Carolina General Assembly allocated funding for the expansion of adult learner initiatives. The North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) distributed $50,000 to each of the ten schools in FY 2022 which was from the John M. Belk Endowment (JMBE), other partners, and the state. The colleges were given until June 30, 2023 to spend the…