Michigan public universities tell appropriations subcommittee they need reinvestment; praise Michigan Achievement Scholarship

Dr. Daniel Hurley, CEO of the Michigan Association of State Universities, told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education and Community College on March 19, 2025, that Michigan’s public universities seek a 4.8% increase in state operating support for fiscal 2026 (about $83,500,000), continued expansion of the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and a $100 million appropriation for campus infrastructure needs.

Hurley framed the request as part of a broader plea to reverse a long-term decline in state operating support for public universities. He said Michigan fell from roughly 20th in the nation to 41st in per-capita state higher-education funding over the last two decades, leaving state support at about 22% of general fund revenues for public institutions compared with a national mix closer to parity.

“We stemmed the bleeding as a sector,” Hurley said, describing modest recent enrollment gains and the early effects of the Michigan Achievement Scholarship. He told the committee the public universities produce more than 67,000 degrees annually at all levels, including nearly 45,000 undergraduate degrees, and that R&D spending by the sector exceeds $3.3 billion. He…