The Evolution of State Higher Education Public Funding Policy

In the past several decades, public colleges and universities have increasingly struggled to fund all of the programs demanded of them as states slowly drain funding from their coffers. This discussion will examine different policies and frameworks that have been used by states to determine funding for their public institutions. Different factors that will be considered include political relationships, governance structures, and accountability models. The political trend of “free college” will also be considered. Then, the discussion will narrow to South Carolina funding policy, how it has changed over the years, and what the current challenges are. A policy proposal for South Carolina will conclude the argument.