Method

As of fiscal year 2010, Grapevine has been produced by Illinois State University’s Center for the Study of Education Policy in cooperation with the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO).  The Grapevine survey has been consolidated with the annual survey used by SHEEO in its State Higher Education Finance (SHEF) project (http://www.sheeo.org/finance/shef-home.htm) .  This consolidated questionnaire asks for data that are compiled in a new State Support for Higher Education database.  This database, in turn, is used to produce both the annual Grapevine tables, which provide a first look at state appropriations for the new fiscal year, and the annual SHEF report, which offers a more complete examination of trends in total state support for higher education, factoring in inflation and enrollment.

 

The data for fiscal year 2012-13 (FY13) were collected by Andy Carlson of SHEEO. The consolidated questionnaire used to collect data for fiscal year 2012-13 included three sections from which the Grapevine data were drawn: (a) a special section concerning funds from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009; (b) a section asking for data on state tax appropriations for higher education; and (c) a section asking for data on additional, non-tax state support for higher education. Unlike Grapevine surveys conducted prior to 2009-10, the consolidated Grapevine-SHEF instrument asked for state totals only. We did not collect data on individual institutions or higher education agencies. Each of the three questionnaire sections from which the Grapevine data were drawn is described below.

 

Special Section on ARRA Funding

This section asked for information on ARRA funds allocated to higher education in fiscal years 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, and 2011-12. The states were asked for data on

• education stabilization funds used to restore the level of state support for public higher education;
• government services funds used for public higher education (excluding modernization, renovation, or repair); and
• government services funds used for modernization, renovation, or repair of higher education institutions (public and private).
  
  

Government services funds used for modernization, renovation, or repair of higher education institutions were excluded from Grapevine analyses.

 

Section 1: State Tax Support for Higher Education

In this section, states were asked to provide data on appropriations from state government taxes to institutions for operations and other higher education activities. States were asked to provide data for the new fiscal year (2011-2012) as well as revisions (if necessary) to data on file for previous fiscal years. In addition to data on funding for four-year colleges and universities, the instructions asked states to include

• sums appropriated for state aid to local public community colleges, for the operation of state-supported community colleges, and for vocational-technical two-year colleges or institutes that are predominantly for high school graduates and adult students;
• sums appropriated to statewide coordinating boards or governing boards, either for board expenses or for allocation by the board to other institutions or both;
• sums appropriated for state scholarships or other student financial aid;
• sums destined for higher education but appropriated to some other state agency (as in the case of funds intended for faculty fringe benefits that are appropriated to the state treasurer and disbursed by that office); and
• appropriations directed to private institutions of higher education at all levels.
  
  

States were asked to exclude

• appropriations for capital outlays and debt service; and
• appropriations of sums derived from federal sources, student fees, auxiliary enterprises and other non-tax sources.

 

Section 2: Additional State Support for Higher Education

In this section, states were asked to provide data on state monies—other than tax appropriations—that are allocated to higher education. States were asked to provide data for the new fiscal year (2011-2012) as well as revisions (if necessary) to data on file for previous fiscal years. Specific data elements in this section of the questionnaire included:

• Funding under state auspices for appropriated non-tax state support set aside by the state for higher education. These may include, but are not limited to, monies from lotteries (including lottery scholarships), tobacco settlement funds, or casinos and other gaming.
• Funding under state auspices for non-appropriated state support. These may include, but are not limited to, monies from receipt of lease income, cattle-grazing rights fees, and oil/mineral extraction fees on land set aside by the state for higher education.
• Non-tax sums destined for higher education but appropriated to some other state agency. These may include any non-tax sums that are appropriated for higher education, but to some other state agency.
• Interest or earnings received from state-funded endowments set aside and pledged to public sector institutions.
• Any other state funds not included above.
• Portions of multi-year appropriations from previous years.
  
  

In addition, this section of the questionnaire asked for data on (a) appropriations that will, in all liklihood, have to be returned to the state and (b) portions of multi-year appropriations in the current year which are to be spread over other years. Both were subtracted from state totals.

 

Different practices among the 50 states make it impossible to eliminate all inconsistencies and to ensure absolute comparability among states and institutions.  In addition, the annual percent changes recorded for each state do not necessarily reflect the annual percent changes in funding for individual institutions or for specific higher education sectors (e.g., community colleges and universities) within states.