Gov. Rick Snyder on Wednesday recommended an increase of 2.5 percent in higher education funding for Michigan’s 15 public universities as part of his state budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year.
This $236.5 million increase in funding brings the total recommendation for higher education to $1.5 billion and exceeds the aggregate fiscal year 2011 funding level by $16.6 million.
The budget recommendations for the three U-M campuses are:
• Ann Arbor: $316.1 million, up 2.4 percent.
• Dearborn: $25.6 million, up 3.1 percent.
• Flint: $23.2 million, up 2.8 percent
Cynthia Wilbanks, vice president for government relations, said she was encouraged that the governor is recommending a funding increase.
“We appreciate that this budget recommendation continues the recent trend of increased funding for higher education. In the coming months, we will work with the state Legislature to support this increase and explore opportunities to do better, if possible,” she said.
The recommendation of $316.1 million for the Ann Arbor campus still falls short of the 2011 funding level, before higher education funding was cut by 15 percent.
Half of the funding increase is contingent upon meeting certain performance metrics including weighted undergraduate completions in critical skills areas, research expenditures, six-year graduation rates, total completions, administrative costs as a percentage of core expenditures, and the percentage of students receiving Pell Grants designed to assist low-income students.
The recommendation also includes a provision that universities limit any tuition increase to 3.8 percent or $475 per student, whichever is greater, to receive any new performance funding.
