The belief that fiscal support of a postsecondary institution is directly related to its overall excellence has been generally accepted and used as an argument when seeking funds for achieving excellence. Problems arise, however, in citing specific data to substantiate this claim. To determine the effect of changes in fiscal support on the quality of educational programs in California's community colleges, it is necessary to develop and improve the capacity to assess excellence. By examining the literature and research on the community college and focusing on the basic functions of these schools, 18 quality measures can be identified, each with a specific sensitivity to fluctuations in financial support. These measures are peer evaluation of teacher effectiveness, student evaluation of teacher performance, faculty burnout, student/faculty ratio, staff development expenditures per full-time equivalent (FTE) faculty, student commitment/motivation, aid expenditures per FTE student, total enrollment, average faculty salaries, library expenditure per FTE student, value of assets per student, full-time/part-time faculty ratio, state support per average daily attendance (ADA), resource allotment for direct education expense per FTE student, educational and general expenses per FTE student, alumni evaluations, student success, and value added. Faculty burnout, staff development and library expenditures, and state support per ADA are the most sensitive to funding level changes. (LL)