Budget Equity Blueprint
The Budget Equity Blueprint toolkit helps colleges and universities incorporate equity considerations into budgeting processes to support more equitable student outcomes.
Through guiding questions and evaluation tools, the toolkit helps institutions examine existing budgeting practices, identify opportunities for improvement, and make more transparent, equity-informed resource allocation decisions.
What You'll Find in This Toolkit
Equity-Focused Guiding Questions
Questions to help institutions examine how equity is considered in budgeting decisions and identify opportunities to strengthen existing practices.Budget Equity Evaluation Tools
A rubric to assess current budgeting practices and identify areas where equity considerations can be better integrated.Budget Prioritization Framework
A structured rubric to evaluate budget requests, support transparent decision-making, and prioritize investments that advance equitable student outcomes.Implementation Guidance
Instructions and an overview guide to help institutions understand and apply equity-focused approaches to budgeting.
Who This Toolkit Is For
- Chief Business Officers (CBOs)
- Finance and Budget Office Teams
- Institutional Leadership and Strategic Planning Teams
- Student Affairs and Student Success Professionals
- Institutional Research and Data Analysts
- Academic and Administrative Department Leaders
- Cross-functional teams involved in budgeting and resource allocation
What This Toolkit Can Help You Achieve
- Increase awareness of how budgeting decisions affect equitable student outcomes.
- Identify opportunities to incorporate equity into existing budgeting practices.
- Use disaggregated student data to inform budget evaluations and resource allocation.
- Strengthen transparency and consistency in evaluating budget requests.
Prioritize investments that address barriers to student success.
How to Use This Toolkit
You don't have to redesign your entire budgeting process to get started. This toolkit offers opportunities to introduce equity considerations into existing practices or take a more comprehensive approach to equity-informed budgeting.
Quick Start
—Explore how budgeting decisions influence student outcomes and begin conversations about incorporating equity considerations into existing financial planning practices.
Deeper Integration
—Evaluate current budgeting practices, engage stakeholders in identifying potential gaps, and strengthen how equity considerations inform financial decisions.
Full Implementation
—Integrate equity-focused evaluation and prioritization practices throughout institutional budgeting processes to support transparent resource allocation, ongoing improvement, and more equitable student outcomes.
See This Toolkit in Action
Learn how institutions have used Budget Equity Blueprint to improve student outcomes.
Ready to get started with Budget Equity Blueprint Toolkit?
Access the full toolkit in the NACUBO Student Success Hub account.
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