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Uinta Basin Technical College touts workforce outcomes and scholarship support to Utah appropriations panel
Summary
Uinta Basin Technical College told the Higher Education Appropriations Committee it met 2025 performance metrics, serves a largely high‑school concurrent population, and relies heavily on state dollars and private scholarships; a student speaker said she is graduating debt‑free.
Uinta Basin Technical College told the Higher Education Appropriations Committee on Jan. 30 that it has met the system’s 2025 performance metrics and that its regionally focused programs are producing credentials tied to local labor demand.
President Waite, speaking for the college, said UBTech is the only full‑time technical college serving Eastern Utah’s Daggett, Duchesne and Uinta school districts and emphasized the institution’s role in rural workforce development. “On average a student that completes a certificate at UBTech will experience a 46% increase in earning potential one year after graduation,” Waite said, citing a report commissioned by Talent Ready Utah.
Why it matters: Committee members and college leaders framed the presentation around access, completion and local economic impact. Waite highlighted that about half of the college’s headcount comes from high‑school concurrent enrollment, which inflates headcount relative to FTE (the college reported a headcount per FTE of 6.42). He said roughly three‑quarters of UBTech’s funding comes from state dollars and that private scholarships supplied a large share of external revenue.
The committee also heard a student testimony. Taylor Harrison, identified as UBTech’s 2026 student of the year and a practical‑nursing student, told the panel she will attend Utah State University’s registered nursing program and described being debt free at graduation. “Because of USU and UBTech’s partnerships, I was able to easily go into the practical nursing program… and even though it was only three classes through USU, those three classes helped me feel extremely prepared,” Harrison said.
Details and context: Waite said the college awarded about $1.7 million in scholarships last year and reported that 83% of its certificate‑seeking students received private scholarships; he also noted that 100% of surveyed graduates reported having no student debt. Waite described an instructional learning center at the Duchesne County jail run in partnership with the Department of Corrections and cited the importance of those programs to local employers.
What’s next: Waite asked the committee to consider capacity funding for technical colleges this year, saying several high‑demand programs have waiting lists. Committee members asked no substantive follow‑up questions beyond gratitude for the presentation and recognition of UBTech’s metrics.
Sources: Committee hearing presentation and direct remarks from President Waite and student Taylor Harrison.
