Guam Legislature committee hears $5.75 million supplemental request to shore up University of Guam operations and accreditation needs

The Committee of the Whole heard testimony on Bill 58-38 COR on a supplemental appropriation of $5,750,984 from FY2025 excess general fund revenues to the University of Guam (UOG) for operations, repairs and maintenance, capital improvement projects and accreditation-related priorities.

Senator Vince Borja, the bill’s author, told the committee the appropriation responds to a funding shortfall that left UOG with a projected cash gap. "This is not a political issue. This is about Guam's future," Borja said, urging colleagues to support the measure so the university can maintain operations and accreditation-related work.

UOG officials described how the requested amount was calculated and how it would be used. The university said it originally identified a roughly $12.4 million gap and narrowed that to $5.75 million by removing several items from the request, including a 5% faculty salary adjustment, IT modernization and some capital repairs. In the funding breakdown presented to the committee, UOG proposed $1,000,000 for capital improvements (primarily roof and skylight work), $392,686 for repairs and maintenance, and $4,358,298 for…