Leveraging the Funding Allocation Matrix for Student-Centered Investment at Empire State University
Impact at a Glance
Aligned budget decisions with student success priorities
Evaluated 105 IT investments using student-centered criteria
Identified approximately $500K for potential reallocation or replacement
Redirected or saved more than $1.5M within IT areas
Expanded student-centered criteria into strategic budgeting decisions
The Challenge
Empire State University (SUNY Empire), part of the State University of New York system, serves more than 16,000 students through flexible and primarily online education. The university wanted a more structured and transparent way to ensure its investments supported student success and institutional priorities.
Leaders wanted to:
- Evaluate how well existing investments supported student success
- Prioritize future investments using student-centered criteria
- Identify opportunities to redirect resources
- Increase transparency and accountability in funding decisions
- Better align limited resources with institutional goals
The goal was to create a systematic approach for assessing both past investments and future budget requests through a student-centered lens.
The Action
SUNY Empire used NACUBO's Funding Allocation Matrix to evaluate strategic budget requests and prioritize investments based on their potential benefit to students.
The university:
- Assessed previous strategic budget requests using a student-centered rubric
- Adapted the toolkit for both detailed analysis and senior leadership discussions
- Evaluated 105 line items in its $4 million IT budget
- Identified software and technology investments for potential reallocation or replacement
- Used the framework to support conversations about equity, access, and effective use of limited resources
The process provided a consistent framework for connecting budget decisions with student needs and institutional priorities.
The Results
Immediate Impact
- Identified approximately $500K in partially or non-student-centered software
- Highlighted opportunities to reallocate or replace technology investments
- Redirected or saved more than $1.5 million within IT areas over the preceding years
- Strengthened the focus on technology investments that directly benefit students
Process Improvements
- Created a more structured and transparent approach to funding decisions
- Established student-centered criteria for evaluating strategic investments
- Adapted the framework for both operational analysis and leadership discussions
- Sparked broader conversations about what “student-centeredness” means across the institution
Ongoing Momentum
- Integrate the Funding Allocation Matrix into annual budget cycles
- Apply the framework across additional strategic budget areas
- Explore ways to align investments with strategic priorities beyond student success
- Continue prioritizing resources that support students, particularly historically and currently marginalized populations
“The Funding Allocation Matrix has enabled us as an institution to focus on the student first during the budget and strategic funding allocation process. Using the tool, we can set priorities to invest in the resources that our historically and currently marginalized students need for better outcomes. ...”
Lexie BonitatibusBudget Control Officer
