State Regents request $95 million systemwide, $301.5 million in institution-specific funding and ask to front-load deferred maintenance

Chancellor Sean Burridge, representing the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, presented the regents’ FY 2026 budget request to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, asking for a $95 million systemwide increase and outlining $301.5 million in institution-specific allocations.

Burridge told senators the regents’ systemwide package prioritizes workforce-aligned programs and student success: $5.5 million to implement the Strong Readers Act across educator-preparation programs, $3.76 million to fully fund concurrent enrollment tuition waivers, $19.4 million to expand STEM and workforce-relevant degree production, $10 million to enlarge nursing education capacity, and $12.6 million to bolster adult degree-completion efforts.

The regents’ presentation also described a $1.9 billion statewide deferred maintenance backlog across 25 public institutions and asked the Legislature to “front-load” $101.3 million of planned deferred-maintenance apportionments into FY 2026 so the system can use the money now rather than spread over three years. Burridge said the funds would be used for ADA compliance, HVAC and roofing projects, and other critical infrastructure work.

A separate, larger category of institution-specific requests totals about $296 million (included within the $301.5 million line), with allocations Burridge listed by institution: $75 million for the University of Oklahoma, $75 million for Oklahoma State University, $55 million across 11 regional universities, $10 million for two-year colleges, and $80 million for 10 constituent agencies (including health sciences centers, OSU VetMed, agricultural experiment stations, Cooperative Extension and OU Law School). Burridge framed those requests as transparency measures: “Institution-specific allocations have been included at the request of the Legislature to increase transparency related to higher education appropriations.”

Burridge said the regents’ FY 2026 request was developed after surveying institutions statewide and in consultation with the regents’ budget committee. He stressed the constitutional duty of the State Regents to present system needs even while acknowledging projected state revenue constraints flagged by the Board of Equalization.

Committee members pressed Burridge on several topics. Senator Sarah Devers asked for detail on funding formulas; Burridge said the regents will provide a spreadsheet showing how base and performance formulas allocate funds to each institution. Senator J.J. Boren pressed about a 2023 U.S. Department of Agriculture letter alleging the state had not fully funded land-grant obligations (a compliance issue that has focused on Langston University and other land-grant institutions). Burridge and regents’ staff said a response under previous leadership (Chancellor Allison Garrett) had been filed and that the regents had allocated targeted funds to Langston’s agricultural extension programs in the last appropriations cycle; however, Burridge said the office had not yet resolved or agreed with the federal calculation of a reported shortfall.

Senators and Burridge also discussed competition with Texas institutions for out-of-state students and the impact of tuition, mention that 60% of nonresident students remain in Oklahoma one year after graduation. Burridge emphasized the regents’ intent to use funds to align degree production with Oklahoma’s “100 critical occupations.”

Burridge described two measures the regents will use for future oversight of tuition increases: the Composite Financial Index (CFI) and institution presentations on the CFI this summer when the regents review tuition and fees. The chancellor said institutions will be asked to present CFI data to the State Regents to support requests for tuition or fee increases and that the regents intend to emphasize accountability.

The subcommittee did not vote on Burridge’s request during the hearing. Members directed staff to provide the requested formula spreadsheets and other documentation for follow-up work.

Why it matters: The regents’ package would shift spending toward workforce and infrastructure investments and disclose institution-specific requests previously appropriated outside the regents’ budget. The deferred-maintenance front-loading ask is intended to mitigate rising construction costs; if approved it would accelerate spending and obligate capital projects earlier in the fiscal cycle.