Iowa budget compromise leaves higher ed funding flat

Despite Gov. Kim Reynold’s proposal at the start of the legislative session to increase aid to Iowa’s three public universities and its 15 community colleges, a compromise she’s reached with Senate Republicans includes no general education bump for the higher education institutions.

Reynolds had suggested a 2-percent increase in general state aid for each of the universities — amounting to $4.7 million more for the University of Iowa; $3.6 million more for Iowa State University; and $2 million more for the University of Northern Iowa.

She also proposed a 2 percent increase — or $4.7 million — for the community colleges.

“I'm very concerned about the level funding for both our community colleges and our regent universities,” Sen. Cindy Winckler, D-Davenport, said Tuesday about the appropriations bill before opposing it at a Senate subcommittee. “That would mean, as costs are going up for the provision of education and staff, tuition will go up. And, in many cases, that is very difficult for families.”

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Of Iowa’s three regent universities, only UNI had asked for an increase in general aid next year — seeking $2.5 million more to keep its tuition below ISU and the UI.

But all three campuses had requested tens of millions more for special purposes — like $10 million for a new UI rural health care initiative; $4 million for a new ISU manufacturing pipeline; and $1 million for UNI’s new Center for Civic Education.

In total, the regents had sought a $24.9 million education appropriations increase — which would have brought the total from $573 million to $597.9 million.

None of those special-purpose requests were included in the budget compromise that advanced Tuesday. Across the rotunda, the Iowa House is expected to start consideration later this week of its versions of state budget bills, which somewhat differ from the Senate compromise.

“We just wanted to note a general concern with many of the community college funding aspects,” a lobbyist for the community colleges told the subcommittee, echoed by a representative for Iowa’s private colleges and universities — who get most of their state support through the Iowa Tuition Grant program, which offers need-based aid to Iowa residents who enroll at one of their campuses.

The governor’s budget had recommended upping Tuition Grant funding 2 percent to $53.8 million. But the grant wasn’t mentioned in the bill advanced Tuesday.

“It's making some of our presidents nervous that we're not actually in the bill. We’re in the spreadsheet, and it goes back to standing (appropriations from) last year,” Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities lobbyist Frank Chiodo said. “We would have liked to see the increase the governor proposed, but we understand you have decisions to make.”

Encouraging lawmakers to reconsider and continue the discussion, Chiodo said, “Some of our universities are struggling financially in the current environment, and any increase in the Tuition Grant Program would be appreciated. That is an indirect, as you know, appropriation — not to the colleges but the students themselves who get to choose what institution to use those dollars at.“

The budget bill does include an item Reynolds proposed in January in her Condition of the State address to lawmakers — $1 million for an “Iowa cancer assessment and intervention plan” that charges UI researchers under the direction of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services to analyze potential causes of Iowa’s high cancer rate and guide the department in targeted policies, enhanced prevention, improved screening and heightened public awareness.

The budget compromise also includes $10 million for a “health care professional incentive program” that would have Health and Human Services coordinate with the College Student Aid Commission to administer the new program.

“Overall, I want to thank the governor for sending out her initiative this year with the cancer research programming — $1 million to the University of Iowa for this research — and, of course, for the health care professional incentive program,” Sen. Jesse Green, R-Boone, said before supporting the bill. “Those are huge needs.”

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Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.

Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com