Utah's nine public colleges and universities won't receive tax dollars to pay for 7,137 full-time equivalent students - or 78 percent of its projected enrollment growth - under the current budget proposal. Those unfunded students would equal the enrollment of Utah Valley Community College.
In a plea to the House GOP caucus Tuesday, Dale Hatch, associate commissioner of higher education, said, "We think this is not in the best interest of the state to short-change students and their educational opportunities."He asked the Republicans to consider a new funding proposal that would boost college-enrollment funds by $10 million. Higher education officials also presented similar requests to the Democratic caucuses and the Senate GOP caucus.
Hatch suggested that legislators take some of the $4 million that has been reserved for bills with fiscal notes and the $3.2 million generated by the monthly collection of the sales tax to fund $5 million of the college growth.
The additional $5 million could be appropriated from any revenue beyond the current projects, Hatch said. He pointed out that for the past few years, revenues have exceeded projections by millions of dollars.
Currently, the budget proposal, approved by the Joint Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee Monday, would pay for 2,197 full-time equivalent students - or only 22 percent of the 9,210 FTE students requested by the state Board of Regents. That leaves 7,137 unfunded FTE students.
House Speaker Craig Moody, R-Sandy, said legislators regard growth in higher education and class-size reduction in public education as top priorities, but the funding source suggested by Hatch must be divided among several areas. "When it's gone, it's gone. We will balance our budget," he said.
As for higher education's desire to lay claim to a contingent appropriation on surplus revenue, Moody responded, "We called that creative financing when I was in real estate."