The Indiana Commission for Higher Education is a fourteen-member public body created in 1971 to: 1) Define the educational missions of public colleges and universities; 2) Plan and to coordinate Indiana’s state-supported system of post-high school education, taking into account the plans and interests of independent colleges and universities; 3) Review both operating budget and capital budget appropriation requests from public institutions; 4) Approve or disapprove for public institutions the establishment of any new branches, campuses, extension centers, colleges or schools; 5) Approve or disapprove for public institutions the offering of any additional associate, baccalaureate or graduate degree or certificate program of two semesters or more in duration; 6) Review all programs of public institutions and make recommendations to the governing board of the institution, the Governor, and the General Assembly concerning the funding and the disposition of these programs; and, 7) Distribute student financial aid from state aid programs. The Commission is not a governing board, but a coordinating agency that works closely with Indiana’s public and independent colleges. In addition, The Commission has strong working relationships with many other State agencies, including: Department of Education, the Department of Workforce Development and the Independent Colleges of Indiana.