The challenge facing school finance is how to harness the school-finance system to the fundamental purpose of education: to improve learning for all students. The challenge is posed by political demands for better school performance and accountability, and by court rulings that tie school funding to standards of adequacy. This paper examines four…

This study explored the impact of mandatory work requirements on welfare-reliant mothers struggling to pursue postsecondary education and the overwhelming difficulties created by rigid and punitive policies at both the federal and state levels. The study documented and analyzed the policies and practices of the Family Independence Agency and Work…

The objective of this biennial enrollment audit is to determine that Texas' community and technical colleges are in compliance with the Coordinating Board rules and regulations, the general provisions of the General Appropriations Act, and the provisions of the Texas Education Code for the purpose of receiving state appropriations. Compliance is…

This document presents recommendations to the state legislaturefor a unified higher education budget for the state of Alabama for fiscal year 2000-01. The first section of the report provides a summary of the budget recommendations, which increase higher education appropriations by 7.53 percent to approximately $860 million. This funding level…

This report addresses the future financing of higher education, focusing primarily on the states and presenting state-by-state data on important trends. It assesses the outlook for state finances, and, in the context of the ongoing needs of other major state services, for state support of higher education. In examining the forecast of state and…

This monograph offers reflections on the role of private higher education in American society. Chapter 1, "Scope and Diversity of Private Higher Education," defines private higher education and notes that private institutions run the gamut from liberal arts colleges to comprehensive colleges and universities, to specialized institutions, two-year…

Current school finance policy in Nebraska rests on the premise that higher costs due to small school size should not be subsidized by state funds unless there is no consolidation alternative. This report aims to reframe the school size debate by demonstrating the excellent performance of Nebraska's small schools in high school completion and…

This paper explores the changing context for New Jersey's higher education system and implications for future access and opportunity. It highlights the state's existing major student aid programs, including how they are currently used and will be affected by future demand. Analyses are provided of contemporary approaches to addressing the issues…

This report describes the legislative response to state supreme court rulings on rural and small schools and districts. The paper addresses the following questions: How have rural and small schools and school districts been affected by state supreme court rulings and subsequent legislation? What has been the experience of rural and small school…

This report presents findings of the third annual survey of state programs that link funding to campus performance, either in the form of performance budgeting or performance funding. The survey found that 30 states now have at least one of these two types of programs, up from 26 states the previous year, although some earlier programs have been…

Merit aid, a discount to college costs contingent upon academic performance, is nothing new. Colleges and private organizations have long rewarded high-achieving, college-bound high school students with scholarships. While merit aid has a long history in the private sector, it has not played a major role in the public sector. At the state level,…

This is a chapter from author's forthcoming book entitled Statewide Coordination of Higher Education. (IR)

A comparison of Ohio's financially troubled districts (FTD) with its financially nontroubled districts (FNTD) revealed that FTD are characterized by special cost students, limited fiscal capacity, and low tax effort. FTD also tend to be either large city or rural districts, and are not characterized by overstaffing, severe declining enrollment, or…

Uses a model portraying school district decision makers as "consumers" to analyze fiscal strain's causes (enrollment decline, input price increases, and changes in input mix) as variants of the general consumer model. Measures the impact of each cause of fiscal strain and discusses implications for state and federal aid. (Author/RW)

Discusses the special funding problems of small/rural two-year colleges, whose main supporters are the state and private donors. Reviews funding options and models, various formulas, and criteria. Suggests the differentiated flat grant as a funding approach and that specific formula dimensions be determined legislatively. (DMM)