Higher ed requests nearly $100 million

LOGAN — A year after higher education received its biggest-ever funding increase from the Legislature, the State Board of Regents is looking at a preliminary budget that includes nearly $100 million in requests for the upcoming session.

Friday's regents meeting at Utah State University also saw the season's first discussion of tuition increases.

But hard numbers were difficult to come by.

"We need to, however, look at what an asset higher education is to the state of Utah," said Rich Kendell, commissioner of higher education. "It is, if not the greatest, one of the greatest assets in the state as we play a major role in producing a better future."

More than 28,000 Utahns are employed by the state's system of higher education, which caters to the needs of more than 140,000 students. Last year, 25,252 certificates and degrees were delivered to students meeting the necessary requirements, "perhaps the greatest asset to our state, turning out qualified, self-sustaining individuals who will continue to contribute to society," Kendell said.

The number of graduates that Utah's 10 public higher education institutions is turning out still isn't high enough; Kendell said, "we have to produce more." In order to produce more, he and the regents categorized this year's budget request.

Nearly $14 million would be directed toward specific initiatives, including beefing up the supply of teachers, scientists, engineers and health professionals in the state in coming years. More than $11 million would be used to improve financial assistance and scholarship situations for students, hopefully enticing more to get involved, Kendell stated.

Another $17.5 million would fund institutional priorities, set forth by individual schools and the partnerships they form to improve the overall quality of education in Utah. Regents hope improving quality will afford them an opportunity to provide at least a 4 percent salary and benefit increase package to teachers and other higher education employees at a cost of $32 million, which isn't incorporated in the budget request.

A tier-1 tuition increase of an average 4 percent at each campus would have to be approved to deliver such a package. That would mean Utah students might pay $180 to as much as $350 more per year, depending on the school and how large a salary increase the Legislature approves.

Other recommendations include mandated costs of $7.4 million, going toward utilities and operating expenses; $9.9 million for system viability, including infrastructure support; and $4 million to further campus emergency planning.