A growing share of high school graduates have enrolled in college over the past three decades, a positive trend driven primarily by enrollment increases amongst students from low- and moderate-income families. At the same time, the net cost of college has increased significantly--for a population that is now less able to afford those…

In this brief, the authors review some of the main goals of state student financial aid programs and provide a few examples of how these programs are organized. They also describe how state programs vary in terms of who benefits. They then discuss various possible designs for joint federal-state policymaking in this area and study their impact.…

The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 provides for annual federal incentive payments to states if they improve foster care programs by (1) avoiding unnecessary removal of children from their homes; (2) preventing extended stays in foster care; and (3) reunifying children with their families or placing them for adoption. To be…

This paper discusses the current state of fiscal relations between the federal, state and local governments in the United States and suggests directions for improvement. The significant degree of fiscal autonomy of the states and, to a lesser extent, of local governments has had several beneficial effects, including the responsiveness of public…

A recent survey by the Federal Demonstration Project, which analyzes the research administration system, found that state governments need to improve how they administer sponsored research in colleges and universities. The analysis focused on management of state-appropriated funds, federal flow-through funds, and applications to and awards from…

The 104th Congress seems intent on reforming the financing of federal programs and, in the process, devolving more authority for the design and delivery of supports and services to states and communities. This paper reviews the experience and lessons from the Reagan block grants of the 1980s, highlighting the similarities and differences between…

Findings of a study that examined the feasibility of transferring certain public schools in Hawaii to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) are presented in this document. A state legislative resolution to transfer was adopted in response to two concerns--the dissatisfaction of some military families with the quality of public schools on Oahu, and…

Intergovernmental grants are a significant part of both federal and state budgets. This report examines the federal grant-in-aid system from the perspective of fiscal impact. It focuses on the extent to which the grant system succeeds in two objectives: (1) encouraging states to use federal dollars to supplement rather than replace their own…

In response to a 1978 mandate, this concluding volume of the School Finance Project's final report concentrates on the broader intergovernmental issues relating to the design and transmission of federal policies and programs, and on the effects of federal activities on state and local education agencies and on schools. The specific Department of…

This report consolidates the information from a series of reports by the General Accounting Office (GAO) on states' fiscal, programmatic, and managerial responses to the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981. Section 1 describes the major issues related to block grant implementation: (1) fiscal strategies adopted by states in response to…

The Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) of 1982 is a federally funded program for, and directed by, the states and provides that the governor of the state is the official recipient of JTPA funds. A study was conducted in Tennessee to identify and document a generalizable formula for determining eligible funds used to match JTPA expenditures to…

Student grant assistance in New York State and federal-state interaction are considered. The evolution and growth of New York's student grant programs is traced. The state's response, or lack of it, to the federal Basic Grants program is addressed, and ways that other states might coordinate their own assistance programs with Basic Grants are…

There have been numerous attempts over the past seven years to replace the federally-funded Work Incentive Program (WIN) with another type of work program. As a result of increased flexibility, decreased federal funds, and continuing debate about welfare reform, there is now considerable variability among states in the types of employment and…

In preparation for 1989 reauthorization hearings, the General Accounting Office (GAO) examined how well the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984 is being implemented. The GAO reviewed the vocational education activities in six socioeconomically diverse states, visiting 20 vocational education institutions and observing 70 local…

This New York report complies with the requirements that states document performance of educational and vocational services funded under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The report is based on New York's strategic plan of goals and objectives and presents data and analyses which indicate current status and trends. Positive…