SHEEO welcomes Gheesling as new Associate Vice President

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The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) is pleased to welcome Dr. Corey Gheesling to the team. In his role as Associate Vice President, Dr. Gheesling will focus on building SHEEO’s workforce development portfolio to complement and engage state higher education agencies in their continued efforts to meet economic and workforce demands. With a distinguished career in higher education policy and practice, Dr. Gheesling brings expertise in aligning academic systems with evolving workforce needs and fostering cross-sector collaboration.

Dr. Gheesling joins SHEEO from the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, where he most recently served as Associate Director for Workforce Development. In that role, he led statewide efforts to align academic programs with economic and workforce development priorities, supported strategic outreach around South Carolina’s Public Agenda for Higher Education—Ascend 60×30—and advanced frameworks for transfer efficiency and credit mobility.

Dr. Gheesling’s previous roles include leading the academic affairs division at the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, where he managed more than $20 million in Coronavirus Relief Funds and chaired a statewide task force on the Future of Work and Higher Education. Dr. Gheesling began his career in education as a social studies teacher and coach before transitioning to higher education as an instructional designer and technologist at Furman University. 

He is a 2025 graduate of the Furman University Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative Fellowship and a former participant in LEAD Tennessee, the state’s executive leadership development program.

Dr. Gheesling holds a doctorate in higher education leadership and policy from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University, a master’s degree in youth development leadership from Clemson University, and a bachelor’s degree in history and sociology with secondary educator certification from Furman University.

Learn more about the SHEEO team at https://sheeo.org/about/sheeo-staff/.

SHEEO welcomes McGuire and Castrejón as State Policy Interns

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The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) is pleased to welcome Adalberto “Beto” Castrejón and Lauren McGuire as State Policy Interns this summer.

Over the next few months, Beto will support SHEEO’s Examining Funding Models for Unintentional Disparities project, including synthesizing curated equitable funding research for state policymakers and highlighting actionable steps SHEEO agencies can take toward analyzing existing higher education funding structures. Lauren will support SHEEO’s Strong Foundations project, where she will analyze the 2025 survey results and share the findings through reports and dashboard developments. Lauren will also support the rural focus of this project by conducting focus groups and analyzing the findings to share with research and data professionals at SHEEO agencies. 

Lauren is a doctoral candidate at North Carolina State University studying educational leadership, policy, and human development. Her research interests include labor organizing in higher education, state policy diffusion and collaboration, civic education, and college access.

Lauren earned her bachelor’s degree in urban and regional planning from Michigan State University, where she learned the value of research-practice partnerships. She also holds a Master of Public Policy from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education and Human Development. While at Vanderbilt, she leveraged her data analysis skills to improve academic affairs policies and procedures, in addition to gaining valuable research administration experience.

Beto is currently a doctoral student in the educational policy studies program at UW-Madison, where he is also an Interdisciplinary Training Program in Education Sciences (ITP) Fellow and Education Graduate Research Scholar (Ed-GRS) in the School of Education. He holds a B.A. in business marketing from the University of Northern Iowa and an M.A. in Higher Education and Student Affairs, along with a graduate certificate in Institutional Research and Effectiveness from the University of Iowa.

Beto seeks to promote equity in college preparation, access, and success using quantitative research methods to evaluate policies and programs aimed at enhancing equitable outcomes for historically underserved communities. His research interests have been formed from his identity as a first-generation Mexican American, his professional work in college admissions, and in supporting college student success.

Learn more about the SHEEO team at https://sheeo.org/about/sheeo-staff/.

SHEEO launches national initiative to expand postsecondary education for justice-impacted students

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Five states to join the multi-state learning community

The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) today announced the launch of a new, national initiative aimed at expanding access to quality postsecondary education for justice-impacted students across the United States. The initiative follows the reinstatement of Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated students in July 2023 — a pivotal policy shift opening new doors to educational opportunity.

With support from Ascendium Education Group and in partnership with the Vera Institute for Justice, SHEEO is convening a one-year, multi-state learning community that includes Arizona, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, and Virginia. Through this initiative, states will work to evaluate relevant policies, remove barriers to access, and promote high-quality, workforce-aligned educational experiences for justice-impacted students. The effort will also work to strengthen collaboration among higher education agencies, corrections departments, and other key partners to build equitable pathways for incarcerated learners.

Advancing Postsecondary Success for Justice-Impacted Students will support participating states in:

  • Assessing current prison education program (PEP) policies to identify gaps and opportunities;
  • Streamlining access to postsecondary education for incarcerated learners;
  • Aligning educational offerings with workforce needs to ensure credentials earned in carceral settings have labor market value;
  • And fostering stronger partnerships across sectors to sustain and scale these efforts.

“The return of Pell eligibility opens the door to transformative change in how we support justice-impacted learners,” said John Lane, project lead and Vice President for Academic Affairs at SHEEO. “This initiative will help states evaluate and improve postsecondary opportunities to meet the best interests of justice-impacted students and their state’s workforce landscape.”

For more information about the Advancing Postsecondary Success for Justice-Impacted Students project, visit https://sheeo.org/project/pell-grants-for-prison-education/. 

About SHEEO

The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) serves the chief executives of statewide governing, policy, and coordinating boards of postsecondary education and their staff. Founded in 1954, SHEEO promotes an environment that values higher education and its role in ensuring the equitable education of all Americans, regardless of race/ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic factors. Together with its members, SHEEO aims to achieve this vision by equipping state higher education executive officers and their staffs with the tools to effectively advance the value of higher education, promoting public policies and academic practices that enable all Americans to achieve success in the 21st century, and serving as an advocate for state higher education leadership.

About Vera Institute for Justice

The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and policy experts working to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems until they’re fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City, Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders for change. We develop just, antiracist solutions so that money doesn’t determine freedom; fewer people are in jails, prisons, and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. Vera’s headquarters is in Brooklyn, New York, with offices in Washington, DC, New Orleans, and Los Angeles. For more information, visit vera.org.

About Ascendium Education Group

Ascendium Education Group® is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization driven by the belief that learning after high school gives people the power to build better futures. Our national philanthropy focuses on increasing opportunities for learners from low-income backgrounds to achieve upward mobility through postsecondary education and workforce training. We partner with organizations whose objectives align with our core strategies to expand opportunity, support learner success, and connect and align systems. Our grantees include postsecondary education and workforce training providers, intermediaries, researchers, and media organizations from across the U.S. To learn more, visit ascendiumphilanthropy.org.

State funding to public colleges sees a minimal increase beyond inflation

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FY24 brought increases in state financial aid, large declines in tuition revenue

The latest State Higher Education Finance (SHEF) report finds that in 2024, public higher education appropriations per full-time equivalent (FTE) increased 0.8% beyond inflation, surpassing pre-COVID-19 pandemic funding levels in 2019 by 17.9%. The SHEF report also finds that public FTE enrollment increased for the first time after 12 consecutive years of declines. Yet fiscal year 2024 marks the largest decline in tuition revenue per FTE since the start of the SHEF dataset in 1980.

After a short recession in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, historical patterns following economic recessions reversed. Instead of the typical decrease in state funding following a recession, education appropriations increased for the 12th straight year, rising $1,774 per FTE from pre-COVID-19 levels. Additionally, inflation-adjusted education appropriations per FTE were greater than pre-recession funding levels in 2008 by 9.0%, or $969 per FTE. The increase in education appropriations per FTE over time can be attributed to three notable trends: increasing state commitments to higher education funding, a sharp decline in FTE enrollment, and generous federal stimulus funding. 

Additional findings from this year’s report include:

  • After 12 straight years of declines, public FTE enrollment increased, reaching 10.4 million in 2024, up 2.9% since 2023. Despite this increase, FTE enrollment was still down 10.8% from an enrollment peak in 2011. Nationally, public institutions have lost all the additional FTE enrollment gained following the Great Recession. 
  • State and local government funding for higher education totaled $139.1 billion in fiscal year 2024, including more than $624.1 million (0.4%) in federal stimulus funding. Inflation-adjusted federal stimulus funding for higher education declined 63.3% from fiscal year 2023.
  • Education appropriations per FTE decreased 3.3% at two-year institutions and increased 1.8% at four-year institutions. Without federal stimulus funding directed by states to higher education, inflation-adjusted education appropriations still would have increased 1.8% from 2023. Although national-level education appropriations have consistently grown since 2019, 22 states continue funding higher education at a lower level than prior to the Great Recession.
  • State public financial aid per FTE increased 4.8% from 2023 to 2024 and reached an all-time high of $1,155 per FTE enrolled student. These funds made up 9.9% of all education appropriations. Financial aid per FTE increased in 31 states in the last year.
  • Inflation-adjusted net tuition revenue decreased 3.7% in 2024 and has declined 8.1% in the last five years. Public institutions received $7,510 per FTE in net tuition and fee revenue in 2024. Public institutions in 40 states and Washington, D.C., collected less tuition revenue than they did five years ago. Decreases in net tuition revenue are largely due to increases in state financial aid and minimal tuition rate growth (lower than the rate of inflation). Despite recent declines, since 1980, net tuition revenue per FTE has increased in every state and has increased by more than 100% in 41 states.
  • Total education revenue decreased 1.0% from 2023 to 2024, reaching $19,092 per FTE. This marks only the second decline since 2013, the other being a 0.2% decrease from 2022 to 2023. Excluding federal stimulus funding, and if enrollment had held constant, total education revenue per FTE would have decreased 5.5% from 2023, but increased 0.5% from 2019. 
  • For the first time since 2010, the U.S. average student share dropped below 40%, decreasing to 39.3% in 2024. Thirty-two states saw declines, but student tuition and fees funding public higher education still comprised more than 50% of total revenues in 19 states. Continued increases in education appropriations and declines in net tuition revenue have reduced the proportion of total revenue financed by students. 

As these findings demonstrate, fiscal year 2024 showed only small growth in education appropriations and the first increase in FTE enrollment since 2011. The continued decline in net tuition revenue puts greater pressure on states to continue investing in public higher education in the coming years. As federal stimulus funds run out, some states may face difficult budgetary decisions.

“We are encouraged by the recent increase in enrollment and the impactful increase in state financial aid investments. With uncertainty on the horizon for federal and state budgets alike, we know states will be under greater pressure to fund higher education,” said SHEEO President Robert E. Anderson. “While each state is facing its own unique circumstances, we hope lawmakers will continue to view public higher education as an investment in their state’s future workforce.” 

The SHEF report broadly addresses the wide variation in how states fund public higher education. However, state-specific context is incredibly important when discussing higher education finance trends. “The trends detailed in the SHEF report reflect national and state averages, but there are almost always outliers in every trend. Even within states, there can be wide variation in the enrollment and revenue patterns at each institution,” said Kelsey Kunkle, Senior Policy Analyst at SHEEO and co-author of the report. “Nationally, 2024 showed slow growth, reinforcing the need for long-term, sustained investments as states explore new or different ways to address college affordability, educational quality, and inequality in educational attainment.”

The full SHEF report paints a more complete picture of differences in public higher education finance across states.

Explore the SHEF website to read the full report and customize the interactive data visualizations, including individual state profiles. Look for more data from SHEF to be added to the website in the coming months. 

Registration Now Open for the 2025 Higher Education Policy Conference

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The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) is pleased to host the 2025 Higher Education Policy Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 11-14, 2025, at the Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel – The Depot. Registration is now open.

The annual Policy Conference is the preeminent gathering of leaders from the state higher education policy agencies, national higher education policy organizations, institutions, and state and federal governments. 

Look for the full conference agenda to be made available in the coming weeks. Register now through July 1 to take advantage of early bird pricing. Don’t forget to book your hotel!

We look forward to seeing you in Minneapolis!

SHEEO and Student-Ready Strategies Partner to Improve Student Success

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The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) and Student-Ready Strategies (SRS) are proud to announce the launch of a new initiative to improve student success through structural change on college campuses. Over the next three years, state higher education agencies from Nevada and Washington will participate in Constellation of Support: A Capacity-Building Approach to Institutional Change. 

This innovative initiative aims to tackle institutional capacity constraints that limit progress in student success. Participating states will lead cohorts of institutions in implementing high-impact, evidence-based strategies designed to improve student retention and completion.

“It is clear that colleges and universities want to transform their policies and structures to ensure student success, but they need more support. These states and institutions will be pioneers in an innovative effort to tackle capacity constraints and change how institutions change,” said Sarah Ancel, Founder and CEO of Student-Ready Strategies.

Through expert coaching, targeted workshops, and SRS’s Constellation platform, participating institutions will receive comprehensive support to implement a specific student success strategy at scale. Each institution will also receive a $20,000 capacity-building sub-grant to support their work.

This initiative builds upon both organizations’ longstanding commitment to helping states and institutions enhance student success. Nevada and Washington will focus on scaling the practice of access and affordability through Credit for Prior Learning (CPL).

The initiative also includes direct technical assistance for state agencies, including policy and process reviews to ensure alignment with institutional goals, maximizing the potential for long-term, system-level change.

“This partnership reinforces our shared commitment to ensuring institutions are ready for students—not the other way around,” said John Lane, SHEEO Vice President for Academic Affairs & Equity Initiatives. “We’re excited to support bold, statewide action that strengthens capacity for student success and provides a scalable model other states can use for structured change.”

Over the next three years, SHEEO and SRS will capture key learnings and promising practices, culminating in a public report to inform state and national efforts.

Learn more about the Constellation of Support initiative at sheeo.org/project/constellation-of-support/. 

About SHEEO 

The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) serves the chief executives of statewide governing, policy, and coordinating boards of postsecondary education and their staffs. Founded in 1954, SHEEO promotes an environment that values higher education and its role in ensuring the equitable education of all Americans, regardless of race/ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic factors. Together with its members, SHEEO aims to achieve this vision by equipping state higher education executive officers and their staffs with the tools to effectively advance the value of higher education, promoting public policies and academic practices that enable all Americans to achieve success in the 21st century, and serving as an advocate for state higher education leadership. For more information, visit sheeo.org. 

About SRS

Student-Ready Strategies (SRS) is a mission-driven technical assistance and capacity-building organization that partners with higher education institutions, systems, and organizations to design and implement student-centered policies and practices. With a focus on institutional transformation, SRS helps leaders move beyond one-size-fits-all solutions to implement sustainable, student-centered change. Through capacity support, student-ready training, research and thought leadership, and innovative tools like Constellation, SRS supports institutions in removing barriers to student success and fostering environments where all learners can thrive. For more information, visit studentreadystrategies.com.

SHEEO seeks nominations for David L. Wright Memorial Award

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The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) is excited to announce the eighth annual SHEEO Excellence Awards program to recognize the leadership, dedication, and innovation of exceptional SHEEOs, agency staff, and agencies. 

We are currently seeking nominations for:

The David L. Wright Memorial Award – named in honor of the late David Wright, an esteemed colleague and leader in state higher education, who served in the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, and the Florida Governing Board. This award recognizes a current SHEEO agency staff member, from a member agency, who embodies the exceptional commitment, work ethic, and ethical practices of David Wright, and who has made outstanding contributions to their agency. 

We are thrilled to have the opportunity to recognize the excellent work of our members and are eager to receive your nominations. Nominations are due by Friday, April 18, 2025. 

Learn more about the process and find the nomination form at https://bit.ly/sheeoawards25.

Any questions can be directed to Jessica Duren at jduren@sheeo.org.

Statement from SHEEO President Rob Anderson on Executive Order to Close the U.S. Department of Education

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Today’s executive order to close the U.S. Department of Education, along with sweeping workforce reductions at the U.S. Department of Education—including substantial layoffs at the National Center for Education Statistics, the Office for Civil Rights, and Federal Student Aid—have great cause for concern. 

We recognize the uncertainty these policy changes have for higher education leaders, educators, and students across the country. Simultaneously, we emphasize: 

  • The closure of the U.S. Department of Education is not legal without an act of Congress. 
  • Any restructuring or reassignment of duties to other federal agencies requires compliance with federal statutes and regulations.

As the administration pursues far-reaching policy changes, it must prioritize effectiveness, compliance, and continuity in implementing programs and services that serve millions of students nationwide. We urge the administration and Congress to consider capacity constraints, anticipate possible disruptions to students and other stakeholders, and actively engage with the higher education community. 

Higher education is a shared responsibility between the states and the federal government, and SHEEO will continue to work with policymakers to represent the needs and concerns of our members. With our members and partner organizations, we will advocate for federal policy initiatives that bolster support for student success and workforce alignment. We will not shy away from promoting an environment that values higher education and its vital role in ensuring educational opportunities for all Americans. 

SHEEO seeks Associate Vice President to strengthen workforce connection

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About the position:

SHEEO is looking for an Associate Vice President to lead policy analysis, research, and project management on initiatives that strengthen the connection between higher education, workforce needs, and state economic development. Your work will focus on key higher education policy areas, including postsecondary attainment, student success, and workforce development, ensuring that state postsecondary agencies are responsive to labor market demands and contribute to state economic vitality. This position will report to the Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff. The Associate Vice President will collaborate with state agencies, policymakers, and institutional leaders to develop strategies that align education pathways with workforce opportunities, improve student career outcomes, and support state economic development objectives. Key responsibilities include managing projects that advance workforce-aligned higher education policies, conducting research and policy analysis on postsecondary education and labor market trends, developing publications, presentations, and learning experiences to inform stakeholders, collaborating with partners and funders, contributing to annual conference planning, and providing support to our members across the country.  

The successful candidate will have expertise in higher education policy, workforce development, and economic strategy. This role offers an opportunity to contribute to the development of successful education-to-career pathways and strengthen state-level policy responses to workforce needs.    

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Provide project, grants management, administrative, and logistical support to keep projects on track and ensure deadlines are met.
  • Conduct policy analysis and research on higher education and workforce alignment.
  • Produce reports, papers, and presentations to disseminate analysis and research to key stakeholders. 
  • Represent SHEEO at, and assist in planning and conducting, state, regional, and national meetings.
  • Provide thought leadership and subject matter expertise on the intersections between state and federal higher education, labor, and commerce policies.
  • Build and maintain collaborative relationships with SHEEO member agencies and partner organizations. 
  • Develop new opportunities for funded projects and build and maintain relationships with funders.
  • Respond to information requests from SHEEO members. 
  • Develop and maintain knowledge regarding current activities and future trends in public higher education.

Qualifications, Skills, and Experiences

We’re looking for a combination of the following qualifications, skills, and experiences:

  • A master’s degree in higher education, public policy, economics, workforce development, or a related field.
  • At least seven years of experience in a role with expanding responsibilities in a similar field. 
  • Leadership experience in a policy organization, government agency, higher education system, or nonprofit organization.
  • Experience developing and implementing statewide or national policies related to higher education and workforce alignment.
  • Experience collaborating with state agencies, policymakers, and business leaders. 
  • Demonstrated ability or potential to obtain outside funding for special projects.
  • Knowledge of or experience with SHEEO agencies.
  • Knowledge of or experience with partner agencies, organizations, and foundations.  
  • A passion for advancing educational and economic opportunity.

Travel: 

With offices in two locations and members across the country, the Associate Vice President will be required to participate in periodic overnight, out-of-state travel.

Salary and Benefits: 

Salary will be commensurate with the successful candidate’s level of education and experience, with a potential range of $100,00-$120,000. SHEEO is committed to supporting our staff’s physical, emotional, and financial well-being and, therefore, offers a comprehensive benefits package for you and eligible dependents. The benefits include a 10% contribution to employees’ retirement plans, 22 days of annual vacation, and 11 paid holidays in addition to the workdays between December 25 and January 1, and subsidized (i.e., 85% paid) health premiums. SHEEO also offers support for employee cost of attendance at professional meetings and for short-term courses related to an employee’s work responsibilities.  

Application Process:

The application deadline for this position has passed.

Seven states named to new higher education Basic Needs Academy

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The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) kicked off a new Basic Needs Academy this week, focused on supporting states in expanding data capacity and developing policy infrastructure for integrating and using basic needs information in state postsecondary data systems.

Seven states – Arizona, California, Georgia, Hawai‘i, Kentucky, Minnesota, and New York – have been chosen to participate in a three-year initiative developed in partnership with the ECMC Foundation.  

Basic needs insecurities, such as insufficient access to food, housing, mental health resources, childcare, technology, and transportation, pose significant challenges to millions of college students annually, often impeding their academic success. Despite efforts by SHEEO agencies to gather this critical information, the collection, utilization, and alignment of basic needs data with other state administrative data remain inconsistent nationwide. This inconsistency impedes a comprehensive understanding of how basic needs insecurities affect student outcomes and the effectiveness of programs designed to address these issues.

SHEEO’s new Basic Needs Academy is designed to support state teams in developing or enhancing their basic needs data to improve policy and decision-making, engage stakeholders, inform programming and services, and ultimately support students. 

“It’s important for states to develop basic needs definitions and identify corresponding data elements and taxonomies that align across state agencies, institutions, and partner organizations,” said Carrie Klein, Associate Vice President at SHEEO. “This will help states better integrate basic needs data into their data systems and ultimately all to develop stronger policies and programs to support students and their success.”

SHEEO will provide each state team with a $60,000 capacity-building sub-grant. State teams will also have access to state team coaches and content experts from the Coleridge Initiative, The Hope Center, and WestEd’s Data Integration Support Center, who will provide ongoing guidance and technical assistance throughout the project.

Learn more about the Basic Needs Academy at https://sheeo.org/project/basic-needs-academy/.