A major university in the Show-Me State will be asking lawmakers for an additional $40 million in the upcoming session.
Missouri State University (MSU) in Springfield says its enrollment is at 26,000 students, but it actually receives about $2,000 less in state funds per student than any other University in Missouri.
MSU President Clif Smart says the University has grown without receiving an increase in funding to accommodate the growth.
Therefore, the school is unable to expand programs such as Health Care, Finance, and Business along with being able to hire additional faculty.
Smart explains what’s being done to ensure MSU receives more funds for next year. “We’ll continue to advocate both with the Governor’s Office and then through the legislative process to make sure to do our best in any way to make sure there is some equity money in the budget for higher education and that specifically, Missouri State benefits from that.”
To bring MSU up to the state average in funding, it would require a 39.8 million dollar appropriation increase.
The Governor’s budget will go through the legislative process early next year with MSU’s Fiscal Year beginning on July 1st.
(Missourinet media partner KOLR-TV contributed this report)