In Fiscal Year 2018, states allocated approximately $99 billion for appropriations for public colleges and universities and $12 billion for students through financial aid programs. States face an economic recession that is estimated to reduce state budgets by $200 billion in Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the coming years, state legislatures will grapple with difficult decisions regarding how to fund higher education. This brief highlights variations in state approaches to funding for higher education in three large and diverse states that together enroll around 30% of all undergraduate students in the United States: California, Florida, and Texas.
