Reynolds proposes regent funding far below university requests

IOWA CITY — Instead of the nearly $40 million appropriations increase Iowa’s Board of Regents wanted the Legislature to approve for the next budget year, Gov. Kim Reynolds has recommended a $12.3 million bump — amounting to a 2.5 percent increase for each of Iowa’s public universities.

In making that recommendation as part of her fiscal 2025 budget proposal released this week, Reynolds rejected several specific regent university requests — on top of the general education appropriation asks — including:

Reynolds’ proposal also excluded any funding toward a $1 million request for expanded mental health services on campus that student leaders implored regents to add to their legislative request for funding.

“Students on our campuses are in significant need of increased accessibility and options for mental health and well-being,” according to a letter the UI, ISU and UNI student governments sent to the regents in September. “Increased funding is necessary to better expand counseling services to students, lower wait times to meet with mental health professionals, and broaden options for support to better students’ academic and personal needs.”

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When asked about the governor’s recommendations, regents spokesman Josh Lehman said the board “thanks Governor Reynolds for her support for Iowa’s regent universities as demonstrated by her FY2025 budget recommendation.”

“The board appreciates the continuing state appropriations our institutions receive,” Lehman said. “Iowa’s public universities are key drivers of the state’s economy and must have the proper level of resources to continue to provide the outstanding education our students deserve.”

General education requests

By taking Reynolds’ suggestion to increase state support for the universities’ general education budgets by 2.5 percent — ignoring the other campus’ special requests — the Legislature would increase its total regents appropriations from $569.7 million this year to $582 million next.

The Legislature also could do something entirely different — as it did last year, when it denied the universities any general education increase and instead tied its entire $7.1 million regents bump to specific programs across the campuses.

In Reynolds’ $12.3 million appropriations increase proposal for fiscal 2025, which starts in July, she suggested giving each campus a 2.5 percent general education bump — meaning the UI would get the most at $5.5 million, followed by $4.4 million for ISU and $2.5 million for UNI.

The regents had sought $14.8 million more in general education support, with both the UI and ISU getting $4.5 million increases and UNI getting a $5.8 million hike. The UNI increase would have allowed it to keep tuition flat next year.

“Differentiating tuition and mandatory fees will help the university ensure costs align with the needs of our students and the state while remaining a reasonable investment for taxpayers,” according to its appropriations request. “In order to be competitive in recruiting students, UNI must continue its effort to realign the sticker price and net cost of tuition and mandatory fees relative to the state's public research universities.”

ISU and the UI argued for their respective increases by referencing inflation, demand for competitive salaries and the need for online programs bringing courses to “place-bound students across the state.”

Special requests

In making a case for an extra $10 million next year toward a rural health care initiative, UI officials suggested the state actually commit $50 million over five years to “build a dynamic and sustainable partnership that will provide increased access and improved health outcomes for Iowans.”

At $10 million a year, first and second year funds would go toward building a health care workforce pipeline. Years three and four would focus on developing and deploying telehealth opportunities to rural communities. And years four and five would continue efforts to recruit and retain workers.

UNI’s ask for $2.5 million more for its “Educators for Iowa” program targeted a similar concern around training workers for critical jobs.

“There is a growing teacher shortage in the state and across the nation,” according to UNI’s request, citing the state’s $1.5 million allocation for the same program last year. “UNI was able to initiate a number of scholarships to recruit and retain teachers and meet Iowa's critical educator shortage. For FY 2025, UNI requests an additional $2.5M to continue efforts to recruit more students into the teaching profession.”

The campus also wanted state support — for the first time — for a community college partnership it launched last year with $4.2 million in one-time federal American Rescue Plan program funding. State funding would “allow us to continue providing scholarships to the UNI@IACC students in the spring 2025 semester, after the federal funding is no longer available.”

When asked about the governor’s recommended denial of any money toward those special requests, board spokesman Lehman said, “The board and our universities will continue to work with the governor and General Assembly during the legislative session.”

Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.

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