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Independent colleges press for $8 million in FY26 capital grants; institutions outline workforce-focused projects
Summary
MICUA presented three proposed campus capital projects funded at $8 million in the governor's FY26 allowance and requested additional state support for full project costs.
The Capital Budget Subcommittee heard presentations from the Maryland Independent College and University Association (MICUA) and three member institutions seeking state capital support to renovate and construct academic space.
The governor's FY26 capital allowance includes $8,000,000 in GO bond funding for MICUA projects; MICUA asked the General Assembly to consider an additional $3,960,000 to fully fund the three projects in this round, the association said.
Projects highlighted:
- Hood College: President Ricker said Hood seeks funding to renovate an auxiliary annex in the Hodgson Science and Technology complex to add classrooms, labs and research space supporting STEM and health programs, and to support a Biomedical Research and Training Center tied to workforce needs in life sciences.
- Stevenson University: Stevenson requested $5,000,000 to build a roughly 12,000-square-foot addition to a black box theater complex that will house a music-performance stage, classrooms and shared facilities to reduce student travel between campuses and expand community arts programming.
- McDaniel College: McDaniel requested approximately $2,960,000 to renovate Merritt Hall to create classrooms, simulation labs, research space and faculty offices for new and expanded programs in neuroscience, early childhood education, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology; the college estimated about 100 graduates per year will enter high-demand fields once programs are fully operational.
MICUA president Matt Power and institutional leaders highlighted the projects' ability to leverage private donations and to support workforce pipelines. MICUA said the three projects would leverage approximately $23,000,000 in private investment and support an estimated 250 construction jobs.
Testimony emphasized alignment with state workforce priorities, improving access for Maryland residents and generating private leverage for limited state capital dollars. The subcommittee did not take a final vote during the presentations; DLS recommended approving the authorizations as presented in the package.
