The importance and influence of state appropriations in public higher education

This thesis examines the effects of state appropriations on public higher education. As neoliberalism ideology encompasses the United States' polices, public higher education has seen drastic cuts to their state funding. The states' appropriation rates per student is important in regards to what influences average appropriations per student at the state level. Using ordinary least squares regression, this study found support for a negative relationship between state appropriations and tuition. The relationship between appropriation per student and enrollment rate was not as expected; I found the relationship to be negative. There is a positive relationship between state appropriations and graduation rates. The regression models show that state appropriations and state unemployment have a negative relationship. I found no significant results to support a relationship between state appropriations and personal median income. These findings showcase the influence that state appropriations have on higher education.