Idaho's colleges and universities have lost large portions of their state funding in the past few years. For the coming year, the governor is proposing an increase: $16.9 million in state general funds for colleges and universities, or an 8.1 percent increase from last year, and $4.4 million for community colleges, a 19 percent increase from last year. The university increase includes $4 million for the new IGEM research initiative. Otter said he's calling for fully funding the universities' top two budget requests: The enrollment workload adjustment and occupancy costs for new campus buildings. Those requests, which are tied directly to swelling student populations, haven't been fully funded in the past four years.

He particularly lauded North Idaho College and the College of Southern Idaho for agreeing to forego their shares of $1 million in proposed additional funding so that money can go to the fast-growing College of Western Idaho. "With gratitude for their selflessness and appreciating their foresight, I'm honoring that request in my budget recommendation," Otter told lawmakers.

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