Gov. Jay Nixon announced today that he planned to
reduce funding to higher education institutions by roughly 5 percent in the 2011
fiscal year.
At
stops today at universities in St. Louis and Springfield, Nixon announced that
he would propose for the next fiscal year funding higher education institutions
at 95 percent of the current 2010 fiscal year's level. In exchange for such a
move, institutions would agree to a tuition freeze for the 2010-2011 school
year.
For the current fiscal year, Nixon offered to keep
funding at the same level as fiscal year 2009 in exchange for keeping tuition
static. A press release from Nixon's office said that the 5.2 percent reduction
works out to a decline of $42 million.
"By helping keep higher education affordable,
we are taking bold steps to prepare the workforce that will move Missouri
forward,” Nixon said in a press release.
The release also featured positive comments from
University of Missouri system President Gary Forsee, who said that the move "strikes
the best balance in a difficult and fiscally challenging time for our
state."
The plan needs the approval of the Missouri General
Assembly and the governing boards of various public higher education
institutions.
Nixon has announced numerous cutbacks in recent
weeks in response to declining state revenues. He announced, for instance, that
he would cut funding to the University of Missouri Hospital system by roughly
$3 million.
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