Clarification of budget requests: regents vs. Walker

The Utah System of Higher Education compared Gov. Olene Walker's budget recommendations Thursday to requests made by the State Board of Regents. A chart in Friday's Deseret Morning News incorrectly portrayed that comparison.

While Walker is not making any cuts, her recommended increase falls well short of what regents say they need. Still, the news was better than in years past.

"Given the budget situation the state is facing, the regents were very pleased with the governor's recommendation," said USHE associate commissioner of public affairs Dave Buhler.

One column in a handout from the USHE showed regents' requests and a second column listed how much Walker recommended for specific areas.

A third column highlighted the difference between the two sets of numbers. It shows Walker's recommendations coming in a total of more than $80 million below regents' requests.

The chart in Friday's newspaper omitted the second column and incorrectly represented the third as Walker's recommendations.

All total, Walker recommended a $39 million, 4 percent increase over last year's budget. A portion of that will be funded from revenues generated by a first-tier tuition increase of 4.5 percent.

Another second-tier increase is expected in the coming months, which could raise the total tuition increase to the 10 percent range for most schools.

Regents approved last October their three highest priorities in a $44 million request that included money for compensation, new student support and facilities. The difference between regents' request to fund their highest priorities and Walker's recommendation is $20 million.

Beyond the $44 million in priorities, regents also identified a need for an additional $45.7 million for "other ongoing" costs. The bulk of that — $32.6 million — would be used to cover new student growth. University presidents have identified a collective budget shortfall that exceeds $40 million because the state has been unable to fund enrollment growth in recent years.

Regents also say they need $4.3 million in one-time increases and $10.5 million in supplemental increases.

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E-MAIL: sspeckman@desnews.com