Community College | Public 2-year
Alamo Colleges District
Strengthening Analysis, Refining Budgeting Processes, and Centering Students
Download Full Case Study (PDF)Allocating Resources to Enhance Equitable Student Outcomes at Alamo Colleges District
The Problem
Alamo Colleges District (ACD), a five-college system serving approximately 72,000 students, has long prioritized student success.
- 81% part-time students
- 67% Hispanic students
- 60% women
- 70% receiving financial aid
Its budgeting process already aligned to districtwide student performance targets, but leaders saw a gap between broad performance goals and more precise equity-focused resource decisions.
- Whether allocation practices unintentionally reinforced inequities
- How funding decisions could better support historically underserved students
- How to apply an explicit equity lens to resource allocation
- How to strengthen data-informed budget decision-making
The district selected the Case Management Advising Program (AlamoADVISE) as the first place to test a more intentional equity-centered funding approach.
The Action
To address these questions, ACD implemented the NACUBO Budget Equity Blueprint.
- Applied an equity lens to the budget allocation process
- Reviewed planning and funding formulas
- Used disaggregated data to examine advising touchpoints
- Engaged stakeholders in deeper conversations about funding impact
- Re-evaluated how resources were distributed across student populations
The Blueprint helped leaders recognize that funding levels may need to differ across services and student segments to close equity gaps.
The Results
Immediate Impact
- $2 million in additional funding allocated to a redesigned advising approach
- Redistribution of duties among advisors
- Highest-skilled certified advisors assigned to students needing additional support
- Stronger alignment with Aspen and Achieving the Dream initiatives
Process Improvements
- More data-informed budget planning
- Expanded use of disaggregated student data
- Increased awareness of how financial decisions affect equity outcomes
- Institutional commitment to assessing impact through multiple funding cycles
Ongoing Momentum
- Collect and analyze equity-gap closure data
- Refine allocation formulas
- Apply equity-informed budgeting to additional funding streams
“This project helped us take an award-winning initiative to the next level and helped us to better understand how to allocate funding to serve all of our students while closing equity gaps so they can all thrive.”
Dr. Diane SnyderFormer Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration
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