MLBC Requests PEER Report on Institutions of Higher Learning Performance-Based Funding Formula Proposals
- MLBC
- 6 days ago
- 1 min read
As Legislative Leadership and the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees considers potential changes to how our public institutions of higher learning are funded, we believe it is important that policymakers have a complete, independent, and data-driven picture of the resources currently available to each institution and the potential impact of any new funding formula.
Our request to the Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure asks PEER to examine all major funding sources—including General Funds, Special Funds, Education Enhancement Funds, federal funds, federal funds not requiring Legislative appropriation, and endowment resources—as well as historical state investment, capital and infrastructure needs, and the potential economic impact of the proposed model.
We are also requesting that the analysis include Mississippi’s public community colleges and provide comparable information regarding state investment, funding sources, per-student funding, capital needs, and disparities among institutions.
Research shows that performance-based funding (PBF) formulas have a disparate impact on HBCUs. Mississippi's Historically Black Colleges and Universities have historically been underfunded. For Jackson State University, Alcorn State University, and Mississippi Valley State University, PBF could potentially create a downward cycle because it would not account for history, mission, student need, systemic disinvestment, and differences in institutional capacity within those institutions. A supposedly "neutral" or "one size fits all" formula could transfer more resources to universities that already possess the greatest advantages.
Our goal is to ensure that any significant change to higher education funding is informed by a comprehensive assessment of where our institutions currently stand and how proposed changes could affect students, institutions, and communities across Mississippi.
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