Public institutions of higher education (IHEs) have four basic revenue streams: state appropriations, tuition, donations and contracts, and earned income. Over the last 2 decades, there has been a massive decrease in state appropriations for higher education. Declining state appropriations have forced public IHEs to look to alternative revenue…

There is a deepening divide between higher education institutions that can sustain themselves fiscally in the wake of declines in state funding and those institutions that are struggling to sustain needed revenues. This research analyzes changes in revenue patterns from 2000-2015 in Midwestern public four-year colleges and universities to the…

This dissertation consists of three papers. In each paper, I use applied econometric methods to study the interaction between immigration policy and the postsecondary policy. The findings offer insights about how immigration policy can influence the education outcomes of undocumented individuals. In my first paper, I explore the effect on…

Oklahoma public comprehensive university presidents face many challenges. Among the top challenges is the quest for adequate funding of their institutions, including adequate levels of support from state resources. For Oklahoma's public comprehensive universities and their leaders, the low levels of public support by the state have become a…

This case study analysis explored the experience of senior level first-generation college students without access to intensive academic support programs for first-generation students at a northeast public research university. This study asked the question: how do senior college students who identify as both first-generation and are not served by…

Earning an education is a life-altering experience on an individual and societal basis. Beyond individual impact, academic institutions contribute to a constructive community through expertise and energy in the form of talented students and faculty. Outside of the classroom, university research and development activities have been proven to…

This researcher explored the relationship between fundraising results and graduation rates at the 50 Texas community college districts. Decreases of state funding to community colleges during the past several years has created not only problems meeting budget expenditures, but also encouraged the development of new ways of raising revenue to…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between state funding along with tuition and baccalaureate graduation rates as well as degrees awarded at 4-year public institutions in the State of Texas. The goal of this study was to identify possible trends which may exist regarding institutions, institutional governance structures,…

This study compared the financial trends that occurred in intercollegiate athletics with the financial trends that occurred at institutions of higher education. The study focused on the 86 public institutions in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and an analysis of the data was conducted for fiscal years 2006-2012. The study identified four…

Diminishing state support for higher education threatens human capital development. This quantitative study undertook to determine the state factors that influence higher education funding and to what degree they do so, what level of funding is required to satisfy higher education expenditure need, and what can help to ensure that those funding…

Community colleges are struggling financially due to underfunding. Recent state budget cuts coupled with the elimination of federal stimulus money has exacerbated the issue as these funding streams had contributed to operating costs (Moltz, 2011). In response to these budget cuts, community colleges are challenged to improve, increase, and develop…

Lottery policies have been created by many states to generate additional funds to support public initiatives, such as higher education scholarships. In 2009, Arkansas adopted a lottery to generate higher education scholarships. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the Arkansas state lottery policy design process to better…

In recent years the majority of California community colleges evaluated for re-accreditation received sanctions requiring documented improvement in the integration of college planning and budgeting processes. This study explores the challenges colleges face and the best practices utilized by successful colleges in implementing integrated…

This research study sought to determine the effect high school completion of the agricultural career and technical education program has on the rate of return on investment by public schools in Virginia. The research questions guiding this study included: (1) Were students able to find employment related to the agricultural career and technical…

Public institutions of higher education are currently faced with revenue shortfalls caused primarily by decreasing levels of state support. In order to close these budget gaps, public institutions are increasingly turning to private fundraising activities. Presently, alumni are the single largest provider of private support to institutions of…