Smart financial management means more students served Community College Finance provides an introduction to best practices for community college leaders and their boards, with guidance on the complex regulations, processes, and considerations surrounding the financial management of these unique institutions. As community colleges continue to increase in importance, this book provides non-technical yet extensive information to guide current and future leaders toward the establishment of effective processes to secure and maintain the funding that is so crucial to the education and future of millions of students nationwide. Readers will gain insight into the background and foundation of community college finance and learn the essentials of practice in today's economic and political climate. The discussion covers student financial aid, tuition, budgeting, and more, and explores the future of federal policy and what it means for the institutions that play such a critical role in the nation's educational system. Over eight million students attend more than a thousand community colleges in the United States today, and those colleges are now facing the retirement of their founding generation of leadership. Meanwhile, the balance between traditional funding sources is shifting as new models and approaches are being implemented, and comprehensive, guiding resources are lacking. This book fills that need with expert insight reflecting current realities and a true understanding of the challenges community colleges face. Readers will: Delve into factors affecting funding and the cost of attendance Develop a budgeting style and process that serves the institution Learn to manage fiscal crises effectively without reducing standards Consider the future of federal policy and how it will affect budgeting At a time when a difficult economy raises questions about the value of higher education, the value that community colleges offer becomes ever more clear. Community College Finance provides the guidance leaders need to help their institutions flourish.

Grounded in an economic perspective, Financing Community Colleges: Where We Are, Where We're Going helps college leaders make sense of the challenges they face in securing and managing the resources needed to carry out the community college mission. Finance has perpetually been an Achilles heel for leaders at all levels of management. With the premise that leaders are better at winning battles they know something about, this book equips leaders with an understanding of the fundamentals and the complexities of community college finance. It tackles current and emerging issues with insight that is analytic and prophetic—a must read for current and prospective leaders.

"It is by far the best study that I know of on community colleges. It comes at a critical time in the history of these institutions. It is carefully reasoned, beautifully written, and sound in its conclusions."—Howard R. Bowen; Professor of Economics and Education, Claremont Graduate School "...and excellent piece of work....Its quality is high and the book is significant. Its significance stems from the fact that it deals with an area of higher education not yet explored by other writings."—Earl F. Cheit; Dean, Schools of Business Administration; University of California, Berkeley "...a great job of describing and clarifying the issues....The book should become 'required reading' for our field...a very fine piece of work that will be a valuable tool for educators, students, and policy-makers."—Roger Yarrington; Vice President, Research and Development, American Association of Community and Junior Colleges "...a thorough job of compiling the pertinent data; of identifying key questions; and of focusing upon central, rather than tangential, issues....Leaders and policy-makers in community colleges and in governmental positions will undoubtedly find the work an invaluable resource."—Bill J. Priest; Chancellor Emeritus, Dallas County Community College District

"In this volume of New Directions for Community Colleges, key issues and practices will be addressed on the following topics: The contemporary challenge of meeting growing demands for increased student persistence and success; diminishing state support for higher education; new calls for accountability and ways to measure institutional effectiveness; the increasing reliance of many community colleges on grants and other sources of revenue; and college policies that have significant financial ramifications" -- page 4 of cover.

Understanding Community Colleges provides a comprehensive review of the community college landscape--management and governance, finance, student demographics and development, teaching and learning, policy, faculty, and workforce development--and bridges the gap between research and practice. This contributed volume brings together highly respected scholars in the field who rely upon substantial theoretical perspectives--critical theory, social theory, institutional theory, and organizational theory--for a rich and expansive analysis of community colleges. The latest text to publish in the Core Concepts in Higher Education series, this exciting new text fills a gap in the higher education literature available for students enrolled in Higher Education and Community College graduate programs. This text provides students with: A review of salient research related to the community college field. Critical theoretical perspectives underlying current policies. An understanding of how theory links to practice, including focused end-of-chapter discussion questions. A fresh examination of emerging issues and insight into contemporary community college practices and policy.