Extends Feldstein's notion of wealth neutrality to embrace fiscal neutrality, using a representative consumer context. Employs an "ideal" demand system to model school district expenditures in a general equilibrium framework. Rejects constant price and income elasticity demand models. Supports the fiscally neutral elasticity model…

Discusses reasons for declines in community college foundation donations and other causes of financial problems. Considers ways of stopping the erosion of state community college funding, and ways resource development officers can nurture private sector ties. Describes state-level resource development for North Carolina's community colleges. (DMM)

Discusses the Montana Supreme Court's declaration that the Montana system of financing education was unconstitutional as it relates to emerging legal principles drawn from federal school finance court challenges. Speculates on future directions in state education finance equity litigation. (54 references) (MLF)

Factors contributing to the current student financial aid crisis in higher education are outlined, including rising tuition costs, federal tax law changes, and a policy shift from grants to loans. Federal and state responses to the crisis are examined, and their relative merits are discussed. (MSE)

Performance funding for public colleges is attractive to state policymakers but volatile and difficult to implement. It requires levels of collaboration, cooperation, patience, and persistence unusual in state government and a commitment to institutional goals, performance standards, and coordinated activities rare in academic governance. However,…

Summaries of the design, planning, and implementation of performance funding programs in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington reveal the challenges and opportunities of this reform approach. Performance measures and objectives and the history of the program in each…

Performance indicators used for state funding, past and present, of public colleges in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington are reviewed to explore their intent and implications and to provide information for policymakers considering introducing or revising…

A study piloted a new approach to assessing the effects of changes in funding for state grant programs on college assistance. Analysis of Washington's state grant program indicates that an increase in state funds for need-based grants in 1993-1994 resulted in improved within-year persistence in public four-year universities. It is concluded that…

A discussion of the use of performance indicators and performance-based funding in state colleges and universities looks at the types of mechanisms used for measuring institutional performance, state experiences with performance indicators, their pitfalls and limitations, the current status of performance-based funding applications, difficulties…

Louisiana's program of state merit scholarships, inspired by Georgia's HOPE Scholarship program, is over budget in its first year because lawmakers pushed to expand eligibility and data for estimating costs was inadequate. Critics find such programs often provide aid to families with little financial need. The program pays full tuition at state…

Brent's examination of the nonresidential expanded tax base (ETB) approach seriously understates the potential equity gains from a carefully designed nonresidential ETB. Practical and political hurdles to adoption of a nonresidential ETB are discussed. An algebraic implementation of a redistribution system is presented that generates significant…

In at least ten states, often those with the lowest public-college faculty salaries, higher-education leaders have made more-competitive faculty salaries a top legislative priority this year. Many of the proposals have encountered resistance from governors and state legislators who have other budgetary priorities or who feel that public-college…

Discusses the fiscal condition of Florida, highlighting its school-funding system and comparisons with other states. Analyzes five issues identified in interviews with state policy analysts: adequate funding for growing demand, applied educational-equity/adequacy considerations, tax-base adequacy, alternative revenue sources, and accountability…

A survey of 98 institutions in six states compared how doctoral and non-doctoral public campuses reacted to reduced state funding in the early 1990s. Univariate and multivariate analysis found both types of campuses coped incrementally rather than fundamentally. Few adopted long- range plans, and most relied on raising tuition and fees and…

A discussion of program review at the multicampus University of Maryland focuses on the role of the central system administration in providing a framework that encourages integration of program review into institutional planning and budgeting activities. Systemwide program review procedures are outlined, and the complicating factor of…