| The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to and manner in which earmarked lottery revenue impacted the funding of Florida's 28 community colleges. Utilizing data from fiscal year 1997-1998 through fiscal year 2008-2009, this study determined that funds from the Florida Lottery have become an integral part of the operating budgets of Florida's community colleges. The proportion of community colleges' operating budgets comprised of discretionary lottery funds varied by institutional size as did the mean appropriation of discretionary lottery dollars per full-time equivalent (FTE). Variations in discretionary lottery funds appropriated to the community college system were not correlated with general revenue, student fees, nor FTE. The amount of lottery funds appropriated to the community college system annually were not correlated with changes in Florida Lottery revenue nor the amount of lottery funds transferred annually to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund. The lottery fund appropriations made to only one of the earmarked beneficiaries, the state university system, were significantly correlated with the appropriations made to the community college system. Community college system expenditures were not correlated with the amount of discretionary lottery funds appropriated to the community college system. |
