“Research that matters.” This is the primary initiative of Illinois State University’s Center for the Study of Educational Policy. The center was established as a part of the university’s School of Education in 1960 (“Emphasizing Research that Matters, 2011). While research is regularly performed and compiled on a number of issues including leadership development, school improvement, and college partnerships, Illinois State’s Center for the Study of Educational Policy, as stated on its website, is “renowned for its work in education finance” (“Emphasizing Research that Matters, 2011, para. 1). One publication that the center produces annually on the subject of higher education finance in the Grapevine report.
Palmer (2011) explains that the Grapevine report has been published annually since the inception of the Center for the Study of Educational Policy in 1960. Today, it provides information on the tax and non-tax support given to institutions of higher education as well as other affiliated agencies (Palmer, 2011). As recently as last year, the Center for the Study of Educational Policy joined the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) to offer more comprehensive information (by incorporating SHEEO’s SHEF Report). A good example of the data presented in the report is the Grapevine Table 6A: State Fiscal Support for Higher Education by State and by Sources of State Support (Taxes, Others State Monies, Federal Stimulus Funds), Fiscal Years 2005-6, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09 which is available on the center’s website. As indicated by the title, the table shows the amount of monies received by each state in each fiscal year. Alabama institutions, for example, received $1,407,875,152 in state appropriations for the 2004-2005 fiscal year. There was an increase in these appropriations during each of the following years with the state’s higher education institutions receiving $1,961,808,342 by the 2007-2008 fiscal year. However, the upward trend was reversed the following year (2008-2009) as Alabama institutions received $1,581,208,946 in state appropriations (Center for the Study of Higher Education, 2011a). While not every state’s appropriations follow this same pattern, the reduction of monies given to higher education institutions by states in the form of tax appropriations is common at this time. Grapevine Table 6B shows a continuation of the reduction in the amount of appropriations given to Alabama higher education institutions, showing a slight reduction in total fiscal support to $1,543,022,486 (Center for the Study of Higher Education, 2011b). However, the increase in federal stimulus funds at this time (indicated in the table) played a large role in closing the gap in lost revenue.
Illinois State’s Center for the Study of Educational Policy offers no opinion on the current level of fiscal support given to higher education institutions in the Grapevine report. However, the manner in which the data is presented in each of the included tables could, in my opinion, be used to make a number of convincing arguments on the subject of higher education finance.
References
Emphasizing research that matters. (2011). Retrieved October 17, 2011, from http://centereducationpolicy.illinoisstate.edu/
Illinois State University, Center for the Study of Education Policy. (2011a). Grapevine Table 6A:
State Fiscal Support for Higher Education by State and by Sources of State Support (Taxes, Others State Monies, Federal Stimulus Funds), Fiscal Years 2005-6, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09. Retrieved October 17, 2011, from http://grapevine.illinoisstate.edu/ tables/FY11/Grapevine_Table6_FY06_FY09.pdf
Illinois State University, Center for the Study of Education Policy. (2011b). Grapevine Table 6B
State Fiscal Support for Higher Education by State and by Sources of State Support (Taxes, Others State Monies, Federal Stimulus Funds), Fiscal Years 2009-10 and 2010-11. Retrieved October 17, 2011, from http://grapevine.illinoisstate.edu/tables/FY11/ Grapevine_Table6_FY10_FY11.pdf
Palmer, J. (2011). Welcome to Grapevine, fiscal year 2010-2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011, from http:// grapevine.illinoisstate.edu/
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