ELP 7590 - Higher Education Finance, Budgeting and Planning

The financing of higher education in the United States is a longstanding public policy issue that invokes questions such as: Who should pay for higher education and how much? How equitable is higher education funding? and How do finance and budgeting policies influence students' access to and success in college? The purpose of this course is to examine the landscape of higher education finance, finance policy, and budgeting and planning. The course will explore the following topics: higher education finance history and trends; the origins of finance challenges; institutional, state, and federal finance policies; the impacts of finance on educational quality, equity, accountability, and sustainability; state and institutional budgeting models; and strategic planning and budgeting. Some specific topics include: higher education price and cost structures; economic theories; state and federal financial aid; student loan and debt; free college proposals; sector-specific finance; performance-based funding and budgeting models; responsibility-centered management; and institutional financial planning.