Universities and colleges have experienced a reduction in state appropriations since the 2008 Great Recession. The purpose of this phenomenological dissertation in practice study was to examine whether distance education would be a viable strategy to compensate for declining state appropriations at four-year public higher education institutions in a Mid-Atlantic state. The aim of study was to create a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis to determine whether distance education would be a viable strategy to compensate for declining state appropriations at four-year public higher education institutions in a Mid-Atlantic state. Two research questions guided this study: what strategies govern a university's decision to implement a distance education program and what factors are considered in determining the return on investment (ROI) for distance education programs? Findings revealed that the return on investment for 80% of participants was undetermined; therefore, the research questions were inconclusive. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]