Outcomes Based Funding and Race in Higher Education ― Can Equity Be Bought?

This book examines how Performance or Outcomes Based Funding (POBF) policies impact racial equity in higher education. Over the last decade, higher education has become entrenched in a movement that holds colleges and universities more accountable to its supporters. There are pressures to answer questions about student outcomes and performance, the value of education, the effectiveness of instructors, and the ability of existing leaders to manage efficiently and effectively. It is within this climate that states have adopted POBF policies. Through POBF, public colleges and universities receive state funding through formulas that no longer rely solely on student enrollment, but are instead based on student outcomes. This book provides an overview for policymakers of how racial equity has been addressed, the impact of these approaches, and recommendations for moving forward. 

Tiffany Jones is Program Director for Higher Education Research and Policy at the Southern Education Foundation.

Sosanya Jones is Assistant Professor of Qualitative Methods and Higher Education in the Department of Educational Administration and Higher Education at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, USA.

LaToya Russell Owens is doctoral candidate and Dean's Fellow in the College of Education at Georgia State University, USA, and doctoral intern at the Southern Education Foundation.

Amanda E. Assalone is Postdoctoral Research and Policy Analyst at the Southern Education Foundation.

Kayla C. Elliott is a Doctoral Student in the Higher Education Leadership program at Florida Atlantic University, USA. She is an experienced nonprofit fundraising professional dedicated to education, equity, and empowerment.

Denisa Gandara is Assistant Professor in the Department of Education Policy and Leadership at Southern Methodist University, USA. She is the recipient of the Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship and the Zell and Shirley Miller Graduate Fellowship.