Governor Herbert announces $2.1M in available Talent Ready Utah grants
At the Capitol Rotunda on March 21, 2017, Governor Gary Herbert unveiled the Talent Ready Utah initiative, including the accompanying grant program. Talent Ready Utah grants, formerly known as the Utah Cluster Acceleration Partnership (UCAP), has more than $2.1 million in grant funding available for the purpose of developing and enhancing programs to meet industry needs, […]
Summary of the 2017 Legislative Session
The 2017 Legislative Session concluded on March 9, 2017. There were over 100 bills impacting public higher education during the 2017 Legislative Session on a variety of issues including mental health, student debt and student privacy. Commissioner Buhler will provide a more exhaustive report on the 2017 Session, including budgetary impacts, at the meeting of the […]
2017 Legislative Update – Week 6
2017-2018 Budget The Executive Appropriations Committee approved its first round of funding items on Friday. For higher education, initial items include: Compensation: 2% labor market adjustment increase (plus funding for health insurance rate increases), with the ratio of funding at 75% from state funds and 25% of tuition funds. Student Enrollment Growth: $3.5 million ongoing for […]
2017 Legislative Update – Week 5
2017-2018 Budget With revised revenue projections announced last week, significant budget decisions continue to loom before a final budget takes shape. There is still a lot of work on the budget as well as several bills that continue their march through the legislative process. Legislation of Interest HB 100, Institutions of Higher Education Disclosure Requirements […]
2017 Legislative Update – Week 4
Higher Education Luncheon Regents, Trustees, Presidents and student leaders gathered on Friday for the annual higher education luncheon in the Capitol Rotunda. Attended by over 75 legislators, including members of legislative leadership, it was a good opportunity to re-emphasize USHE’s budget and capital development priorities. The Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee The Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee […]
Need for mental health services increases across Utah, including on higher ed campuses
There’s been a marked increase in Utahns seeking mental health services in recent years. This increase is exacerbated by a shortage of mental health professionals in Utah, especially in rural areas, and difficulty recruiting and retaining qualified professionals. In fact, most states have serious shortage issues for mental health professionals. Along with general statewide growth, there […]
2017 Legislative Update – Week 3
Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee The Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee met for its final scheduled hearing this week, focusing on the Board of Regents’ budget priorities for USHE. The committee also considered other budget requests. Understandably, the top priority of the subcommittee is to restore the 2% across-the-board budget cut. The subcommittee also voted to hold […]
From degrees to staffing, higher ed in Utah is among the most cost-efficient in the nation
Cost and funding A combination of relatively low costs and low tuition rates make USHE institutions among the most efficient and affordable in the country. USHE’s four-year institutions have the the fourth-lowest tuition and fees in the U.S., and the average tuition funds per full-time equivalent (FTE) student at a USHE institution are 14% below […]
2017 Legislative Update – Week 2
The Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee The subcommittee met twice this week, hearing from seven of the eight USHE presidents. Each president advocated the Board of Regents’ unified budget priorities, highlighted notable accomplishments and provided compelling arguments of the critical need for increased state funding at their institutions. The subcommittee, as directed by the Executive Appropriations […]
2017 Legislative Update – Week 1
Overview The 2017 Session of the Utah State Legislature got underway Monday, January 23, and will conclude Thursday, March 9. It is anticipated there will be several bills with potential impact to the Utah System of Higher Education, all of which will be tracked and responses coordinated by the Commissioner’s Office and institutions. 2017-2018 Budget According […]
