Overview

State funding plays a critical role in shaping the quality, accessibility, and affordability of higher education, directly affecting students’ academic success and long-term economic mobility. MDRC’s Technical Assistance for State Higher Education Funding project is working with the state agencies of higher education in Arkansas, Montana, and Oregon as they update their funding models to better align with their goals for student and workforce outcomes.

MDRC will collaborate with each state agency to analyze its current funding formula, interview stakeholders about their priorities for reform, model the effects of potential changes, and provide practical recommendations for reform, with a focus on incorporating measures of credential value and return on investment into the funding models. The project will culminate in a public report to share insights and lessons from MDRC’s work with these three states, guidance that can help inform similar efforts nationally.