Committee Oks Extra For Colleges Recommendation Still Faces Votes In Full House, Senate

Idaho’s universities picked up extra cash Thursday in a rare departure for penny-pinching legislative budget writers.

But students still may end up paying as much as 15 percent more for tuition as colleges scramble to keep pace with demand.

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee approved state support of $178.6 million for the budget year that begins July 1 - $1.9 million more than Gov. Phil Batt proposed in his bare-bones spending blueprint but still nearly $14 million less than the state Board of Education requested.

Lawmakers originally earmarked just over $178 million for higher education in the current year’s budget, but that was slashed to $173.5 million to keep the state out of the red.

“This is a little bit kinder to the universities. But even with this, we’re still falling behind in funding higher education,” Democratic Rep. Ken Robison of Boise said. “It’s still basically no increase.”

The recommendation still faces votes in the full House and Senate.

Within less than an hour, the 20-member panel did slash $2.8 million for technological improvements from a Health and Welfare Department program aimed at helping the developmentally and mentally disabled become self-sufficient.

That cash, however, instead was earmarked for the state’s share of a major federal safe drinking water revolving loan program. Over six years the state will put up about $20 million and get $100 million in federal funds to underwrite water system improvements throughout the state.

Endorsement of the above-target support package for higher education came a day after the Board of Education authorized the University of Idaho, Idaho State University, Boise State University and Lewis-Clark State to seek student fee increases of up to 15 percent.

“They definitely have a major problem and we need to help them solve it,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Anne Fox said.

Declining state support and increasing student demands led the schools’ presidents to ask the board for permission to propose fee increases above its 10 percent annual limit.

The board approved the request Wednesday by a 5-2 vote, with board members Jerry Hess and Roy Mosman dissenting. Board member Tom Dillon was absent.

The board will consider specific tuition hike proposals in April.

, DataTimes