Lumina Foundation awards $831,000 to the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education for efforts to graduate more students within existing resources while ensuring quality.

(INDIANAPOLIS) -- Amid budget shortfalls and rising college enrollments, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education today announced Lumina Foundation for Education will spend up to $831,000 on a multi-year initiative that includes maintaining and extending performance funding for higher education and boosting efficiency at regional four-year campuses. The grant, one of seven awarded nationally, is part of the foundation's effort to increase productivity by promoting significant changes in how states fund and deliver higher education.

"Our efforts to improve productivity and efficiency at our universities took a giant leap forward when Indiana was selected to receive this continuing support from the Lumina Foundation," said Teresa Lubbers, Indiana's Commissioner for Higher Education. "All enterprises, including higher education, must adapt to new needs and expectations, and this grant offers the opportunity to build a system that is more responsive to students and the economy."

Indiana Chamber President Kevin Brinegar noted that his organization has been a longtime leader and supporter of education improvement efforts at all levels. Earlier this month, the Chamber recognized former higher education commissioner Stan Jones as its 2009 Government Leader of the Year for his efforts on just this topic.

"We have had a strong relationship with the Commission over the years and are pleased to be able to continue to work together to enhance the outcomes for Indiana students," Brinegar stated. "Timely degree completion for students and operating our higher education system at peak efficiency are critical issues for our state's future workers and their employers."

The grant, which will extend for up to four years, will focus on educating legislators, college and university trustees and the business community on how to sustain the performance-funding model for higher education adopted earlier this year. The model, the most extensive in the nation, allocates a portion of state funds to college and universities based on measures such as the number of degrees completed, the number of degrees completed on-time and the number of degrees completed by low-income students. In addition, the chamber and the commission will launch an in-depth review of institutional and state policy options for achieving efficiencies in the academic operations of regional four-year campuses.

Over the past year, the foundation has supported efforts to increase productivity in the state's higher education system, including adoption of the new funding model.

"This round of grants represents Lumina's next steps in advancing a national agenda for raising the level of productivity within higher education," said Jamie P. Merisotis, president and CEO of Lumina Foundation. "Momentum is building to serve greater numbers of students by maximizing the use of existing resources and ensuring quality. These grants will move us toward a deeper understanding of how we can implement policies and practices that elicit more value from our shared investment in higher education."

The grants are part of Lumina's effort to increase the percentage of Americans with high-quality degrees and credentials to 60 percent by 2025 to meet economic demand. The state investments are designed to stimulate changes in policy and practice that can be emulated. States also receiving grants today include Arizona, Maryland, Montana, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas.

In an effort to engage more states, the foundation also released Four Steps to Finishing First in Higher Education, a practical guide for state policymakers and higher education leaders. These documents describe steps states can take to achieve greater efficiency.

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About the Indiana Chamber of Commerce
The mission of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce is to work proactively on behalf of its members and constituents. The Chamber recognizes that this can best be achieved by providing a world-competitive business climate throughout the state in order to maximize opportunity for meaningful employment of all Indiana citizens. The Chamber does this by advancing thoughtful legislation and public policy, and serving as the convenient source of reliable business information for our members and constituents. www.indianachamber.com