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Nixon Releases Money For Higher Ed; Committee Recommends Performance-Based Funding

Southeast Missouri State University's Academic Hall
Southeast Missouri State University

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon reversed the budget cut he made last summer to Missouri’s colleges and universities on Monday. The Governor says improvements in the state’s revenue picture made it possible to release $8.4 million that had been withheld from the state’s Higher Education system.  Meanwhile, he’s still withholding nearly $6 million from other wings of state government.

“While the revenue numbers are certainly good this month, we’ll continue to watch and see if we have continuingly good numbers and make decisions on those as we move forward,” Nixon said.

Southeast Missouri State University will receive over $428 thousand. Mineral Area College will get about $48,000, and the state will send nearly $43,000 to Three Rivers Community College.

Meanwhile, a joint House-Senate panel is recommending performance play a role in how much money Missouri’s colleges and universities get from the state each year. Panel members on Monday released a proposed Higher Education funding formula, which would include performance measurement in such things as student enrollment, the number of research programs, and public service to the surrounding community or state.  

GOP Senator David Pearce of Warrensburg chairs the Joint Committee on Education.
 
“Will it generate interest?  You bet. But at the end of the day we can’t just look at one line item for one individual institution, we have to look at it as it affects the entire state,” Pearce said. “So that’s one thing that we’re going to try to work through this legislative process.”

Public comments on the proposal will be accepted through next Monday, February 11th.  

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