Committee advances higher-education budget with investments in student aid, challenge grants and campus projects

The House Appropriations Committee on Oct. 12 approved Senate Bill 2003, the higher-education budget, as amended after a multi-hour presentation and discussion about student aid, institutional funding formulas and campus projects.

Representative Sanford presented the budget overview, describing the state’s higher-education funding structure and three primary strategies the committee says are used to attract and retain students: needs-based grants and scholarships, a state challenge-grant program that leverages private gifts, and campus-administered tuition waivers. Sanford said institution-level funding exceeds $2 billion when tuition, room and board and research funding are included and noted the request would increase needs-based grants to about $32 million.

Sanford and committee members discussed a range of items in the bill. Notable provisions mentioned in committee testimony and handouts include:

- Needs-based grants: An increase in state support, with a presenter reference to roughly $32 million in state needs-based grant funding. - Challenge grant program: Continued investment in a program…