State governments serve as a key funding source for public higher education. An alternative to historically based state subsidies or enrollment-based formulas, outcomes-based funding allows states to convey goals for higher education by allocating state tax dollars based on measures of outcomes. Within higher education institutions, the…

Decades of research reinforce the power of postsecondary education to improve the lives of students and society. To this end, the establishment of an educated citizenry built to sustain and mold the principles governing an ever-dynamic America is increasingly a responsibility incumbent upon institutions of higher education. Just how to fund this…

Ohio provides need-based aid through a program called the Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG), which is essential to helping students from low-income backgrounds attend college. Unfortunately, OCOG excludes over 110,000 community college and regional campus students, who are more likely to come from low-income families. Because of OCOG policy,…

A changing economy in Michigan means that education beyond high school, whether it's a degree or training for a specific skill or job, is more important than ever. But in Michigan, low- and middle-income families are seeing college costs continue to rise--for many, rising beyond their reach. Michigan has some of the highest public tuition levels…

A rich interdisciplinary literature exists exploring the determinants of state higher education funding policies. However, that work has collectively ignored an important finding from political economy literature: namely, that citizens' preferences regarding public spending are strongly influenced by the state's ethnic and racial context. Drawing…

One significant function community colleges serve is the provision of training programs for today's jobs. Students in job training programs are pursuing valued industry credentials and occupational skill sets to prepare themselves for new employment opportunities. Others are interested in retraining and professional development. Historically,…

The purpose of this journal-format dissertation was to investigate the condition of community college policy at the state-level as well as the effects of state-level policies on community college institutions and students. Three separate studies were conducted in this dissertation. Study 1 entailed a systematic literature review centered on…

The latest edition of "Quality Counts 2018" takes a detailed look at what is behind this year's school finance grades from the Education Week Research Center, first reported as part of the annual state-by-state ranking of the nation's schools released in January. Under the new "Quality Counts" format, this second of three…

Nebraska's Educational Service Units (ESUs) are under threat of de-funding, consolidation, and even elimination. For too long, the ESUs have been an invisible asset to school districts, providing equity to our rural schools, and expertise to our more urban schools. ESUs work from the expectation of efficiency and effectiveness, to be good stewards…

This brief is based upon a report that reviewed research on the role of money in determining school quality. The research documents that resource investments matter for student outcomes, especially when they are directed to under-resourced districts and students from low-income families. The research also shows that spending resources in ways that…

The "Analysis of School Finances in New York State School Districts" is an annual publication providing a meaningful perspective to staff in the Division of the Budget, the Legislature, the Education Department, and school officials concerning school expenditures, State Aid, and local support. This edition of the Analysis summarizes the…

Strong public schools are the backbone of strong communities. A good public school system can be a city's biggest draw. An underperforming public school often marks a city's decline. Public education is perhaps the most crucial investment government can make. Although most Ohioans are educated in public schools, since the 1990s state policymakers…

In 2010, total student loan debt surpassed total credit card debt held by Americans. About two years later, total student debt broke the psychologically huge $1 trillion mark. These milestones brought to a boil long-simmering frustration with college price growth that has outstripped normal inflation, household income changes, and even…

This paper examines how the English educational state has consistently acted to support private schooling in areas where fee-paying schools would be otherwise financially unviable. Educational data on private school participation since the 2008 financial crisis reveals the stark regional divides between London and the South-East of England and the…

The student loan crisis has become a buzz topic that presidential candidates frequently discuss in debates and town halls. Today, accumulated student loan debt equals $1.6 trillion, exceeding total accumulated car loans and credit card debt. What makes this a crisis is the fact that approximately 22 percent of student loan borrowers default on…