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Giving to the Foundation

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions on Giving

Q: How does Pellissippi State’s share of state funding compare to other two-year colleges in the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) system?

A: Comparison among TBR schools is difficult because they do not all have the same mission.

State law carefully defines the process for the allocation of state funds. The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) allocates funds to the two post-secondary systems within the state: the University of Tennessee system and the TBR system. TBR then allocates its share to the universities, two-year colleges, technology centers, and specialized institutions that comprise the TBR system.

THEC recommends appropriation for state funds based on a funding formula that considers factors such as enrollment, student/faculty ratios, instruction and academic support requirements, student services, maintenance and operation of physical plant, graduation rates, student retention, minority percentages, and other designated performance funding indicators. In the funding formula, for example, engineering technologies are supported by the state at a higher rate than arts and science transfer courses.

For the fiscal year 1999-2000, which was studied for the College’s self-study, Pellissippi State’s share from the state was 61.23% of its total revenues, which was less than the average of 65.92% for all TBR two-year colleges that year.

One reason for this is that Pellissippi State courses that receive a higher level of support in the funding formula, such as the engineering technology programs, typically have enrollments that are small relative to arts and science transfer courses.

If you did not see the answer to your question, please e-mail your question to the executive director of the Foundation (pwilson@pstcc.edu) or see Contact Us.

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