State Higher Education Funding Research

The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association’s (SHEEO) primary mission is to promote 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. Central to that mission is equipping states with the skills and information to act when and where necessary. One area that presently requires attention and action is the analysis of funding distributions to public institutions of higher education.

While there is a deep pool of literature on state higher education funding, much of this research focuses on the determinants of changes in funding levels. Researchers have recently begun expanding this research base, but there is still much we do not know, especially on the levels of funding needed to meet state goals. In 2021, SHEEO published a literature review and analysis of prior research looking at the impacts of state funding, total revenue, and student financial aid on student outcomes. Ultimately, we found that increasing funding to public institutions results in additional enrollments, higher retention and graduation rates, additional degree and certificate completions, and higher statewide degree attainment.

With generous support from the Joyce Foundation, SHEEO issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to fund research projects that investigate new lines of inquiry into state higher education funding models. More than 25 research proposals were submitted, and six projects were selected to be funded. The immediate goal of these research projects is to advance understanding of the levels and distributions of funding needed to advance state higher education goals.

 

Research Papers

For questions about this project, contact Dustin Weeden, Associate Vice President, at dweeden@sheeo.org.