Since the publication of the 2nd Edition of this Reader in 2001, there has been a large increase in the amount of research and scholarly publication on issues of higher education finance. This is not surprising, given the pattern of decreased public funding and increased student cost over this period. Strategic planning and its relationship to budgeting under growing financial constraints have been of continuing interest among both higher education scholars and practitioners. What has changed, however, is the greater inclusion of explicitly economic perspectives in publications dealing with various aspects of postsecondary education. Because of these changing publication patterns, it was appropriate to add the word “Economics” to the title of this edition. Inside you'll find a mix of scholarly and practitioner-oriented publications, as well as thoughtful scholar-written section introductions that bring the reader up to date on the current issues.