Advertisement

The Urban Review

, Volume 36, Issue 4, pp 251–270 | Cite as

Community College Revenue Disparities: What Accounts for an Urban College Deficit?

  • Alicia C. Dowd
Article
First Online:

Abstract.

This study takes a political–economic perspective to examine predictors of revenue variation in U.S. community colleges using the IPEDS 2000 Finance Survey data. Descriptive analyses of the IPEDS data indicate it is common for colleges at the 90th percentile of a state’s revenue distribution to have twice the per student resources as colleges at the 10th percentile. Ordinary least square regression results indicate progressive funding explains 7% of the revenue variation. Colleges serving higher proportions of students with financial need have higher revenues relative to other colleges in their states. Colleges located outside urban areas have revenues 13–18% higher than those in large cities, controlling for enrollment size and the proportion of part-time students. These findings, which explain 28% of revenue variation, may indicate differences in entrepreneurial revenue capacity or political compromises that “level up” spending to all legislative districts irrespective of student need. An urban community college research agenda is proposed to examine the political-economic mechanisms that create funding disparities.

Keywords

community colleges finance equity accountability 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Adelman, C. (2004, June). Moving into town: Four portrait models of traditional-age community college populations. Paper presented at the Association for Institutional Research Annual Forum, Boston, MAGoogle Scholar
  2. Breneman, D. W., Nelson, S. C. 1981Financing Community Colleges: An Economic PerspectiveThe Brookings InstitutionWashingtonGoogle Scholar
  3. Burke, J. C., and Associates. (2002) Funding Public Colleges and Universities for Performance: Popularity, Problems, and Prospects. Albany: Rockefeller Institute PressGoogle Scholar
  4. Burke, J. C.Serban, A. M. eds. 1998Performance Funding for Public Higher Education: Fad or Trend?Jossey-BassSan FranciscoGoogle Scholar
  5. Cade, J. A., Heller, H. B. 1996Final Recommendations of the Community College Financing Study GroupMaryland State Department of Fiscal ServicesAnnapolis, MDGoogle Scholar
  6. CFE v. State Victory: Good for New York, good for the Nation. (ACCESS Quarterly) (2003). New York: ACCESS: A Project of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, IncGoogle Scholar
  7. Community colleges and the State University of New York. (1999) Boulder, Colorado: National Center for Higher Education Management SystemsGoogle Scholar
  8. DesJardins, S. L. 2002Understanding and using efficiency and equity criteria in the study of higher education policySmart, J. C.Tierney, W. G. eds. Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and ResearchAgathon PressNew York173219Google Scholar
  9. Dowd, A. C. and Grant, J. L. (2004, April). Community college finance equity: An examination of revenue disparities by race and community wealth. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CAGoogle Scholar
  10. Dowd, A. C. and Grant, J. L. (forthcoming). Equity and efficiency of community college financing: The role of local financing. Review of Higher EducationGoogle Scholar
  11. Evelyn, J. (2004, April 30). Community colleges at a crossroads. Chronicle of Higher Education, p. A34Google Scholar
  12. Flores, S. (2003, November). Disproportionate policies: Latino access to community colleges in Texas. Paper presented at the Association for the Study of Higher Education, Portland, OregonGoogle Scholar
  13. Garms, W. I. 1981On measuring the equity of community college financeEducational Administration Quarterly17120Google Scholar
  14. Gomstyn, A. (2003). Oregon judge rejects community-colleges’ lawsuit seeking more state money. Retrieved November 17, 2003: http://chronicle.com
  15. Halstead, K. 1991Higher Education Revenues and Expenditures: A Study of Institutional CostsResearch Associates of WashingtonWashingtonGoogle Scholar
  16. Hoxby, C. M. (2001). All school finance equalizations are not created equal. Quarterly Journal of Economics (November) 1189–1231Google Scholar
  17. Iowa Community College funding formula task force report. (1998). Iowa Department of EducationGoogle Scholar
  18. Jones, D. P. (2000). An alternative look at the cost question. In Higher Education Cost Measurement: Public Policy Issues Options, Strategies (pp. 74–91). Washington, D.C.: The New Millenium Project on Higher Education Costs, Pricing, and ProductivityGoogle Scholar
  19. Kozol, J. 1991Savage InequalitiesCrown PublishersNew YorkGoogle Scholar
  20. McDaniel, G. (2004). Legal actions counter cuts to funding in Florida and Maryland: Florida lawsuit challenges decision to give poor district largest cut. Retrieved August 5, 2004: http://www.schoolfunding.info
  21. McKeown Moak, M. (2000). A view from the states: A survey of the collection and use of cost data by states. In Higher Education Cost Measurement: Public Policy Issues, Options, Strategies (pp. 74–91). Washington, D.C.: The New Millenium Project on Higher Education Costs, Pricing, and ProductivityGoogle Scholar
  22. Merisotis, J. P., and Wolanin, T. R. (2000). Community college financing: Strategies and challenges. New expeditions: Charting the second century of community colleges. Issues Paper No. 5 (No. 1523). Annapolis Junction, MD: American Association of Community Colleges, Association of Community College TrusteesGoogle Scholar
  23. Middaugh, M. F., Graham, R., and Shahid, A. (2003). A study of higher education instructional expenditures: The Delaware Study of Instructional Costs and Productivity (No. NCES 2003-161). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education StatisticsGoogle Scholar
  24. Murphy, P. J. 2004Financing California’s Community CollegesPublic Policy Institute of CaliforniaSan FranciscoGoogle Scholar
  25. Odden, A. R., Picus, L. O. 2004School Finance: A Policy Perspective3McGraw-HillBostonGoogle Scholar
  26. Policy of choice: Expanding student options in higher education. (2002). (New Millenium Project on Higher Education Costs, Pricing, and Productivity). Washington, D.C.: Institute for Higher Education PolicyGoogle Scholar
  27. Quittner, D. (2004a, July 30). GCCCD: Equity at last in state funding: District share of equalization dollars in state budget totals $2 million. News ReleaseGoogle Scholar
  28. Quittner, D. (2004b). State funding inequities in the California community college system. El Cajon: Office of Intergovernmental Relations, Economic Development, and Public Information, Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College DistrictGoogle Scholar
  29. Romano, R. M. (2003, October). Financing community colleges across the states: An economic perspective. Paper presented at the Complex Community College Conference, Cornell Higher Education Research Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYGoogle Scholar
  30. Rury, J. L., Mirel, J. E. 1997The political economy of urban educationReview of Research in Education2249110Google Scholar
  31. Shults, C. 2001Remedial education: Practices and policies in community colleges (Research Brief No. AACC-RB-00-2)American Association of Community CollegesWashington, D.CGoogle Scholar
  32. State funding for community colleges: A fifty state survey. (2000). Denver, Colorado: Center for Community College Policy, Education Commission of the StatesGoogle Scholar
  33. Timar, T. B. (2003). School governance in California: You can’t always get what you want. Retrieved April 30, 2003: http://www.ucla-idea.org
  34. Verstegen, D. A. (1998). Judicial analysis during the new wave of school finance litigation: The new adequacy in education. Journal of Education Finance 24 (Summer):51–68Google Scholar
  35. Wong, K. K. 1994Governance structure, resource allocation, and equity policyReview of Research in Education20257289Google Scholar
  36. Wooldridge, J. M. (2000). Introductory Econometrics: A Modern Approach. South-Western College PublishingGoogle Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2005

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Graduate College of EducationUniversity of Massachusetts, BostonBoston
  2. 2.Graduate College of EducationUniversity of MassachusettsBoston

Personalised recommendations

Cite article

Buy options