Sunday, February 07, 2010
Funding Crisis Forecast In Higher Education
WEST VIRGINIA...
Pressured by Governor Joe Manchin to keep tuition rates in check this year, West Virginia’s public colleges and universities are warning lawmakers that a funding crisis is near. Higher Education Policy Commission Chancellor Brian Noland told the House Finance Committee on Thursday that student-paid revenues must be revisited soon, in the absence of additional state funding. A legislative audit questions whether West Virginia has the population to justify all 11 of its four-year colleges and universities. Committee members also challenged that finding Thursday. The state budget proposed for the fiscal year that starts July 1 requests $1.88 billion from various revenues for higher education, a 6 percent drop from current-year spending. The state’s 10 community and technical colleges account for about 11 percent of the higher education budget.
Pressured by Governor Joe Manchin to keep tuition rates in check this year, West Virginia’s public colleges and universities are warning lawmakers that a funding crisis is near. Higher Education Policy Commission Chancellor Brian Noland told the House Finance Committee on Thursday that student-paid revenues must be revisited soon, in the absence of additional state funding. A legislative audit questions whether West Virginia has the population to justify all 11 of its four-year colleges and universities. Committee members also challenged that finding Thursday. The state budget proposed for the fiscal year that starts July 1 requests $1.88 billion from various revenues for higher education, a 6 percent drop from current-year spending. The state’s 10 community and technical colleges account for about 11 percent of the higher education budget.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 2:54 PM 
