2008 Woodie Awards
State to cut higher education funding
T.R. Risner
Staff Reporter
Issue date: 3/3/08 Section: News
Drastic cuts to the education budget highlight Governor Riley's fiscal year 2009 budget recommendation. Four-year public colleges and universities took the biggest cut at 13.3 percent compared to 10 percent for the state's two-year college system and 2.6 percent cut in the state's K-12 system.
Funding for education in Alabama comes from state income tax revenues and sales tax revenues, both of which are expected to decrease over the next year.
"When the economy slows people spend less and unemployment increases which means less money is available for education," Keith Ayers, USA director of public relations, said. "If the state believes the economy will slow they have to plan for there to be less money available in the budget and this time higher education may absorb most of the budget shortage."
The 13.3 percent cut to four-year colleges and universities would take $18.5 million from the 2009 fiscal year budget recommendation for USA of $119,638,263, which is primarily used for academic purposes. The $18.5 million cut would take South Alabama back to the amount it received in the fiscal year 2007 budget.
University of South Alabama lobbyist Happy Fulford believes it's not fair for higher education to take the brunt of the budget cuts. "The cuts should be an equal six percent across the board," Fulford said.
"We cannot cut higher education this much, K-12, two-year programs, and four-year colleges should all be cut equally; legislators should follow 'fair share funding,'" Ayers said.
Fulford will travel to Montgomery on March 6 with South Alabama students and a local delegation to participate in Higher Education Day and attempt to show legislators how important higher education funding is to the students of the state.
"Most legislators do not have college kids so South Alabama students can come to Montgomery and meet state officials so they will understand who is getting the funding," the South Alabama lobbyist commented. "The higher education students are the people who will be voting in the future, so they should listen to what we have to say."
Funding for education in Alabama comes from state income tax revenues and sales tax revenues, both of which are expected to decrease over the next year.
"When the economy slows people spend less and unemployment increases which means less money is available for education," Keith Ayers, USA director of public relations, said. "If the state believes the economy will slow they have to plan for there to be less money available in the budget and this time higher education may absorb most of the budget shortage."
The 13.3 percent cut to four-year colleges and universities would take $18.5 million from the 2009 fiscal year budget recommendation for USA of $119,638,263, which is primarily used for academic purposes. The $18.5 million cut would take South Alabama back to the amount it received in the fiscal year 2007 budget.
University of South Alabama lobbyist Happy Fulford believes it's not fair for higher education to take the brunt of the budget cuts. "The cuts should be an equal six percent across the board," Fulford said.
"We cannot cut higher education this much, K-12, two-year programs, and four-year colleges should all be cut equally; legislators should follow 'fair share funding,'" Ayers said.
Fulford will travel to Montgomery on March 6 with South Alabama students and a local delegation to participate in Higher Education Day and attempt to show legislators how important higher education funding is to the students of the state.
"Most legislators do not have college kids so South Alabama students can come to Montgomery and meet state officials so they will understand who is getting the funding," the South Alabama lobbyist commented. "The higher education students are the people who will be voting in the future, so they should listen to what we have to say."
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Paul Talent
posted 3/03/08 @ 6:31 PM CST
Wow, just got finished reading the good news (Funding approved for Engineering and Science Center) and now we are hit with this.
The administration may say they want to keep tuition reasonable or affordable, but we all know they are still going to act like they have little choice and raise tuition anyway . (Continued…)
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