Funding Sources for Research Universities (Addendum to Finances of Research Universities – June 2014)

The document, produced by COGR in July 2020 as an addendum to its 2014 report, outlines the severe financial challenges faced by research universities amid the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic downturn. It details the various funding sources available to such institutions—both unrestricted and restricted—including state appropriations, tuition, federal and private grants, endowment income, gifts, clinical revenue, and emergency relief, noting that most are significantly diminished or at risk due to the crisis. The report highlights the existential threat to universities, the cost-cutting responses being implemented, and the need for transparent, prioritized allocation of increasingly scarce resources, predicting continued financial uncertainty for the immediate future.