Two Decades of Change in Federal and State Higher Education Funding
Recent trends across levels of government
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Other federal spending |
Federal spending on major higher education programs across all agencies |
|
---|---|---|
Federal spending | 98 | 2 |
Billions of dollars | |
---|---|
Elementary and secondary education | 283 |
Medicaid | 156 |
Higher education | 78 |
Corrections | 53 |
Public assistance | 9 |
Transportation | 5 |
All other | 209 |
Note: These data include funding that flows to public, nonprofit, and for-profit higher education institutions and their students, excluding federal loans and tax expenditures. See the technical appendix for more details.
Sources: Pew’s analysis of data from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, “Historical Tables”; U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System; U.S. Department of Education, “FY 2017 Budget Request” and “State Funding History Tables”; National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, “Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development Fiscal Years 2016-17”; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “FY 2017 Budget Submission”; and National Association of State Budget Officers, “2018 State Expenditure Report”
General purpose appropriations | State research, agriculture, and medical education appropriations | State financial aid grants | Other federal grant programs | Federal veterans educational benefits | Federal research funding | Other federal financial aid grants | Federal Pell grants | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Federal | 3.0 | 2.2 | 13.6 | 26.5 | 1.7 | 27.7 | ||
State | 66.0 | 10.2 | 11.0 | |||||
Local | 10.5 |
Note: These data include spending that flows to public, nonprofit, and for-profit higher education institutions and their students, excluding loans and tax expenditures. Numbers may not add up due to rounding. Federal numbers have been adjusted from federal fiscal years (October to September) to academic years; state data are unadjusted because both state fiscal and academic years run from July to June. See the technical appendix for more details.
Sources: Pew’s analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System; U.S. Department of Education, “FY 2019 Budget Request” and “State Funding History Tables”; Department of Veterans Affairs Budget in Brief Volume III, “Benefits and Burial Programs and Departmental Administration,” fiscal year 2019; National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, “Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development Fiscal Years 2016–17”; State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, “State Higher Education Finance,” fiscal year 2018; and National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs, “48th Annual Survey Report on State-Sponsored Student Financial Aid: 2016-2017 Academic Year”
year | Federal Pell grants | Federal research funding | Federal veterans educational benefits | State general purpose appropriations | State research, agriculture, and medical education appropriations | State financial aid grants |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | 16.18690398 | 27.59481281 | 3.915086191 | 68.19603692 | 11.95337175 | 9.038259555 |
2008 | 19.10085585 | 26.96004558 | 3.934391584 | 70.43937727 | 12.54922392 | 9.182823454 |
2009 | 29.78706062 | 31.98564033 | 4.567033045 | 68.04527345 | 11.88829561 | 9.637271047 |
2010 | 37.41998011 | 32.82394481 | 8.577286967 | 66.5197958 | 11.18698414 | 9.896403297 |
2011 | 37.1507632 | 29.15669625 | 11.11764008 | 61.87817036 | 10.84985406 | 10.07861471 |
2012 | 34.07957855 | 27.59447852 | 11.59731774 | 56.90827318 | 10.21534353 | 9.957273689 |
2013 | 33.0445128 | 25.89747852 | 12.8234955 | 56.56186351 | 10.27292 | 10.0216091 |
2014 | 31.4003444 | 26.06066289 | 13.44573195 | 59.83529799 | 10.3862089 | 10.22870059 |
2015 | 29.08539509 | 26.14409015 | 13.80681928 | 63.04148119 | 10.25424003 | 10.74037453 |
2016 | 27.01669073 | 26.63307976 | 14.14615361 | 64.36554239 | 10.28363808 | 10.92704045 |
2017 | 27.68750991 | 26.36745254 | 13.64558348 | 65.968 | 10.23597091 | 10.978581 |
Note: Data include spending for public, nonprofit, and for-profit higher education institutions and their students, excluding loans and tax expenditures. See the technical appendix for more details
Sources: Pew’s analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Education, “State Funding History Tables,” fiscal years 2007-17; National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, survey of federal funds for research and development, fiscal years 2007-17; State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, “State Higher Education Finance,” fiscal years 2012-17; National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs, annual survey report on state-sponsored student financial aid, academic years 2007-17; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Annual Budget Submission,” fiscal years 2008-19; National Bureau of Economic Research, “U.S. Business Cycle Expansions and Contractions”
Academic Year | Federal revenue | State revenue |
---|---|---|
2000 | 3676 | 7345 |
2001 | 3948 | 7663 |
2002 | 4216 | 7168 |
2003 | 4443 | 6632 |
2004 | 4621 | 6245 |
2005 | 4636 | 6113 |
2006 | 4435 | 6130 |
2007 | 4336 | 6359 |
2008 | 4243 | 6426 |
2009 | 4432 | 5957 |
2010 | 5019 | 5219 |
2011 | 5111 | 4980 |
2012 | 4877 | 4585 |
2013 | 4704 | 4604 |
2014 | 4555 | 4890 |
2015 | 4544 | 5099 |
Note: Data include funding for public, nonprofit, and for-profit higher education institutions and their students, excluding loans and tax expenditures. See the technical appendix for more details.
Sources: Pew’s analysis of data from the Delta Cost Project Database, based on original data from the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System; National Bureau of Economic Research, “U.S. Business Cycle Expansions and Contractions”
Public enrollment |
Private nonprofit enrollment |
Private for-profit enrollment |
|
---|---|---|---|
Federal spending | 70 | 23 | 7 |
Public | Private nonprofit | Private for-profit | |
---|---|---|---|
Pell | 70.3 | 15.4 | 14.4 |
Research | 60.9 | 37.3 | 0.0 |
Post-9/11 GI Bill | 36.7 | 28.6 | 34.7 |
Note: Data are adjusted to academic year. See the technical appendix for more details.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System; U.S. Department of Education, Office of Federal Student Aid, “Title IV Program Volume Reports”; National Science Foundation, “Higher Education Research and Development Survey,” fiscal year 2016; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Post9/11 GI Bill Data,” http://www.va.gov/transparency/Post-9-11-GI-Bill-Data.xlsx
Year | Post-9/11 GI Bill | Total of other programs |
---|---|---|
2006 | 0.00 | 3.88 |
2007 | 0.00 | 3.93 |
2008 | 0.00 | 3.94 |
2009 | 0.18 | 4.59 |
2010 | 6.22 | 3.63 |
2011 | 8.37 | 3.18 |
2012 | 9.04 | 2.57 |
2013 | 10.69 | 2.53 |
2014 | 11.11 | 2.41 |
2015 | 11.57 | 2.33 |
2016 | 11.82 | 2.41 |
2017 | 11.06 | 2.39 |
Notes: The “Total of other programs” section includes seven different programs. Data are adjusted for inflation using the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index and presented in constant 2017 dollars.
Sources: Department of Veterans Affairs Budget in Brief Volume III, “Benefits and Burial Programs and Departmental Administration,” fiscal years 2008-19; National Bureau of Economic Research, “U.S. Business Cycle Expansions and Contractions”
Year | Unsubsidized Stafford | Subsidized Stafford | Parent PLUS | Grad PLUS | Perkins Loans |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | 29.69 | 30.50 | 9.91 | 2.55 | 1.97 |
2008 | 32.56 | 34.59 | 9.15 | 3.66 | 1.64 |
2009 | 46.33 | 37.86 | 8.81 | 4.96 | 1.10 |
2010 | 52.64 | 43.04 | 10.06 | 6.43 | 0.93 |
2011 | 52.82 | 45.47 | 11.86 | 7.79 | 0.96 |
2012 | 51.54 | 44.53 | 12.16 | 8.21 | 1.04 |
2013 | 60.24 | 29.64 | 10.47 | 8.11 | 1.08 |
2014 | 58.03 | 27.73 | 10.79 | 8.50 | 1.23 |
2015 | 54.45 | 25.47 | 11.07 | 8.62 | 1.20 |
2016 | 52.00 | 23.53 | 12.26 | 9.07 | 1.07 |
2017 | 50.84 | 22.05 | 12.80 | 9.82 | 0.90 |
2018 | 48.96 | 21.00 | 12.82 | 10.32 | 0.80 |
Note: Includes loans that flow to students attending public, nonprofit, and for-profit higher education institutions.
Sources: Pew’s analysis of data from the College Board, “Trends in Student Aid 2018,” based on original data from the U.S. Department of Education, National Student Loan Data System; National Bureau of Economic Research, “U.S. Business Cycle Expansions and Contractions”
Year | Billions of 2017 Dollars |
---|---|
2000 | 13.45 |
2001 | 13.28 |
2002 | 15.87 |
2003 | 16.90 |
2004 | 16.83 |
2005 | 18.75 |
2006 | 19.12 |
2007 | 16.55 |
2008 | 19.87 |
2009 | 23.66 |
2010 | 32.23 |
2011 | 38.04 |
2012 | 36.17 |
2013 | 32.93 |
2014 | 35.64 |
2015 | 33.26 |
2016 | 33.02 |
2017 | 40.48 |
Note: Data include tax expenditures that flow to students attending public, nonprofit, and for-profit higher education institutions. See the technical appendix for more details.
Sources: Pew’s analysis of data from the U.S. Department of the Treasury as presented in the Office of Management and Budget, “Analytical Perspectives: Budget of the United States Government,” fiscal years 2002-19; National Bureau of Economic Research, “U.S. Business Cycle Expansions and Contractions”
Revenue | |
---|---|
Self-supporting operations | 90.80 |
Net tuition and fees | 79.53 |
All other | 37.35 |
Private gifts, investment revenues, and endowment income | 36.17 |
Local revenue | 15.91 |
Federal revenue | 50.10 |
State revenue | 82.32 |
Note: Data include operating and nonoperating revenue received by public higher education institutions. Just under 1 percent of all such institutions report their funding using the standards of the Financial Accounting Standards Board and may not include Pell Grants under federal revenue. For more information see the technical appendix.
Source: Pew’s analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
State | Federal revenue | State revenue | Local revenue | Net tuition and fees | Private gifts, investment returns, and endowment income | Self-supporting operations | All other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Michigan | 5948.23 | 5338.23 | 1615.50 | 12119.82 | 8711.96 | 16639.15 | 1458.63 |
Oregon | 6705.06 | 6346.93 | 2113.61 | 9181.07 | 3932.06 | 20054.99 | 2769.75 |
Utah | 5042.39 | 7779.56 | 20.86 | 6461.60 | 3495.53 | 26705.65 | 1335.83 |
District of Columbia | 7152.00 | 24556.05 | 1575.56 | 10883.38 | 2087.40 | 224.35 | 3937.02 |
Hawaii | 9692.68 | 20013.58 | 0.00 | 7473.66 | 1669.77 | 3595.49 | 6561.90 |
Pennsylvania | 5299.37 | 5150.02 | 416.42 | 13854.08 | 5592.56 | 16785.55 | 1652.96 |
Iowa | 5278.44 | 7174.36 | 1247.45 | 8131.16 | 3235.00 | 20364.49 | 3042.30 |
Alaska | 8647.08 | 20265.49 | 1069.00 | 7734.13 | 3876.07 | 2687.50 | 3453.11 |
Vermont | 7130.08 | 3769.07 | 0.00 | 20257.95 | 6916.83 | 6568.83 | 1598.46 |
New Mexico | 7110.99 | 10648.69 | 3244.24 | 3650.74 | 2114.61 | 15680.78 | 3739.93 |
Connecticut | 3769.19 | 14889.23 | 12.14 | 8573.79 | 1066.91 | 10658.14 | 6846.40 |
Texas | 4205.71 | 7004.22 | 3140.18 | 6056.52 | 7398.15 | 5768.91 | 9126.70 |
Kentucky | 4693.35 | 8230.57 | 206.16 | 7429.83 | 1982.03 | 16981.60 | 3091.75 |
Wyoming | 4023.18 | 17291.55 | 1980.53 | 3949.64 | 4285.94 | 3349.34 | 7042.61 |
Alabama | 5301.14 | 7666.05 | 73.09 | 9304.88 | 3581.88 | 14010.37 | 1676.29 |
Washington | 6387.77 | 7409.47 | 711.39 | 7790.52 | 4624.63 | 11383.92 | 3285.06 |
Delaware | 5068.17 | 8486.28 | 221.78 | 14446.71 | 7070.76 | 4914.30 | 1326.16 |
Ohio | 3375.13 | 6208.89 | 568.70 | 10161.79 | 4526.82 | 13629.87 | 1693.41 |
Colorado | 9362.75 | 2769.25 | 511.96 | 11206.28 | 3693.73 | 9317.90 | 2931.98 |
Virginia | 4382.43 | 6519.50 | 82.03 | 9954.35 | 4866.52 | 11240.73 | 2294.51 |
Illinois | 4467.93 | 5511.52 | 3565.65 | 7798.78 | 1407.72 | 6551.80 | 9954.92 |
California | 4395.27 | 8641.74 | 2979.85 | 5017.64 | 2094.28 | 11144.68 | 4618.72 |
Arkansas | 4066.84 | 8933.10 | 404.54 | 5535.85 | 1998.63 | 14267.57 | 3018.38 |
Nebraska | 4535.06 | 10320.35 | 2326.91 | 6360.01 | 5243.07 | 6074.81 | 2966.19 |
United States | 4706.71 | 7733.84 | 1494.27 | 7471.15 | 3397.83 | 8530.63 | 3509.29 |
Maryland | 7196.85 | 9178.21 | 1993.59 | 8193.66 | 1838.84 | 5207.62 | 2826.66 |
Massachusetts | 4448.56 | 10075.24 | 72.85 | 9516.48 | 1805.22 | 4354.34 | 5926.33 |
Mississippi | 5160.77 | 8729.21 | 564.45 | 5528.78 | 1411.57 | 11747.92 | 2903.25 |
North Carolina | 5297.03 | 12518.49 | 831.98 | 5948.08 | 3304.39 | 5781.33 | 1441.35 |
Oklahoma | 4090.83 | 7368.17 | 2544.51 | 6996.22 | 2596.64 | 7996.21 | 2788.40 |
New Hampshire | 3522.87 | 4310.85 | 104.76 | 12253.68 | 4078.50 | 7168.61 | 2285.94 |
North Dakota | 4815.63 | 9548.16 | 199.85 | 8537.53 | 1941.15 | 5632.41 | 2371.36 |
New York | 4312.15 | 10446.63 | 2123.74 | 5208.84 | 1087.19 | 6245.96 | 2966.48 |
Wisconsin | 4653.43 | 6806.08 | 2523.47 | 6978.44 | 3763.73 | 3959.25 | 3448.55 |
New Jersey | 3706.09 | 8100.47 | 901.62 | 9405.52 | 1891.73 | 5256.30 | 2740.96 |
Indiana | 4210.39 | 7359.86 | 28.72 | 10617.54 | 3408.92 | 4045.33 | 2083.91 |
Missouri | 3268.17 | 5702.06 | 945.88 | 6577.95 | 2835.92 | 10352.43 | 1642.96 |
Minnesota | 4491.71 | 8783.01 | 357.64 | 7409.31 | 4279.44 | 4548.46 | 1247.04 |
Montana | 6354.85 | 7081.13 | 294.84 | 8318.19 | 1911.05 | 4079.25 | 2832.93 |
South Carolina | 4397.49 | 6514.18 | 492.34 | 10267.60 | 2374.93 | 4328.29 | 2333.11 |
Kansas | 3981.41 | 6223.22 | 2290.29 | 7210.32 | 1703.18 | 4986.01 | 2214.00 |
West Virginia | 3553.49 | 7008.16 | 76.92 | 8778.00 | 2650.71 | 3893.11 | 1613.95 |
Rhode Island | 4120.66 | 6342.80 | 0.00 | 9407.75 | 688.42 | 4446.96 | 2344.24 |
Arizona | 4421.82 | 3283.08 | 3680.07 | 9420.65 | 2064.05 | 2318.27 | 2092.90 |
Georgia | 5018.81 | 7339.04 | 85.18 | 6947.70 | 2272.40 | 4121.22 | 1334.09 |
Maine | 3876.33 | 9341.19 | 0.00 | 6862.10 | 2094.25 | 3672.41 | 1232.97 |
South Dakota | 4479.12 | 6469.62 | 40.77 | 7626.80 | 1860.52 | 3792.09 | 2567.49 |
Tennessee | 3978.84 | 9339.05 | 165.79 | 6312.58 | 2017.90 | 2828.10 | 1995.87 |
Louisiana | 3761.99 | 5676.67 | 12.80 | 7341.28 | 4160.64 | 3348.92 | 1976.46 |
Idaho | 4169.92 | 8627.53 | 580.03 | 6760.30 | 1577.90 | 2595.77 | 1121.12 |
Nevada | 3631.15 | 8064.74 | 372.97 | 5541.75 | 2103.05 | 2560.42 | 1048.38 |
Florida | 4057.12 | 7980.11 | 143.16 | 4513.89 | 2494.29 | 1666.75 | 1338.66 |
Note: Federal revenue in Pennsylvania and Delaware is understated because of those states’ use of Financial Accounting Standards Board accounting standards. Colorado’s net tuition and fees are overstated and its state revenue is understated because of the way data are captured in the source.
Source: Pew’s analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
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