School of Education faculty member Nick Hillman recently joined Wisconsin Public Radio’s “Central Time” to share new research about government funding for higher education in America.
Hillman is a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis and director of the Student Success Through Applied Research (SSTAR) Lab. In the “Central TIme” segment, Hillman spoke about the SSTAR Lab’s recent findings related to disparities in higher education funding and the potential for “equity-based” funding models.
“You have a very small percentage of colleges holding the vast majority of wealth,” Hillman said in the segment. “Being attentive to those equity concerns that have a long history in American public policy can really benefit higher education.”
The SSTAR Lab’s report showed that use of “equity-based” funding principles by state and federal governments for higher education could be the key to addressing achievement gaps for low-income and minority students. It defines equity-based funding as government spending decisions that ensure colleges have sufficient resources to meet students’ needs and compensate for historic funding disparities.
“There are strategies out there that states and the federal government are already using to try to achieve improvement around issues of inequality,” Hillman said.
Listen to the full “Central Time” segment here.