An examination of the (un) intended consequences of performance funding in higher education

MR Umbricht, F Fernandez, JC Ortagus - Educational Policy, 2017 - journals.sagepub.com
Educational Policy, 2017journals.sagepub.com
Previous studies have shown that state performance funding policies do not increase
baccalaureate degree production, but higher education scholarship lacks a rigorous,
quantitative analysis of the unintended consequences of performance funding. In this article,
we use difference-in-differences estimation with fixed effects to evaluate performance
funding in Indiana. We find that performance funding did not increase the number of
graduates and instead led to declining admission rates and increased selectivity at Indiana's …
Previous studies have shown that state performance funding policies do not increase baccalaureate degree production, but higher education scholarship lacks a rigorous, quantitative analysis of the unintended consequences of performance funding. In this article, we use difference-in-differences estimation with fixed effects to evaluate performance funding in Indiana. We find that performance funding did not increase the number of graduates and instead led to declining admission rates and increased selectivity at Indiana’s public universities. When compared with surrounding states, we find limited evidence that the effects of performance funding could disproportionately limit college access for Indiana’s low-income and minority applicants.
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