Prior studies have documented the pattern of decreased state funding for higher education in periods of economic contraction (i.e., the balance wheel phenomenon). This qualitative case study examines how policymakers in California and Texas made decisions about funding higher education at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when policymakers faced…

A discussion of the outlook for state support of higher education in the next decade examines the major relevant trends in the recent past, sketches the outlook for state finances in general, and discusses the prospects for higher education specifically. (MSE)

This paper discusses a study that examined three questions: How has overall state spending on higher education changed from year to year in relation to states' ability to fund higher education? (2) Has the growth in state spending on higher education varied significantly from the growth in total state budgets in recent years? and (3) What have…

This research report ordered by the California Senate analyzes problems and possible solutions to postsecondary education finance in that state. A first section explores the background to the issues and concludes that higher education should be a top priority of the state government now and in the future. A second section examines the problem of…