Missouri public colleges to see more funding cuts
Gov. Jay Nixon and his budget staff said today that public colleges and universities around the state should prepare for deeper cuts to their state funding next year.
Nixon and state Budget Director Linda Luebbering warned of the cuts while speaking at an education summit in Jefferson City attended by more about 150 college officials. Last month, Luebbering's office put out budget instructions for fiscal year 2012 that say funding could be reduced as the last of federal stimulus package funds are spent.
"For Fiscal Years 2011 we are currently projecting modest growth in collections, with stronger growth in Fiscal Year 2012," the guidelines stated. "However, the Fiscal Year 2012 budget will be made more challenging by the phase-out of $860 million of federal budget stabilization funds."
This year, funding for public colleges and universities was cut by $50 million and the colleges agreed to keep their tuition rates frozen at 2007 levels for another year. The legislature also cut $54 million in state scholarship funding.