UVM president seeks state help to finish $101 million multipurpose center, asks for steady funding increases and cancer‑care support
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Summary
University of Vermont President Marlene Trump told the Senate Appropriations Committee she is asking the state for a 3% inflationary increase to the general fund appropriation, a five‑year $1 million/year commitment for the UVM Cancer Center, and support toward completing a multipurpose center with remaining costs the university placed at about $101 million.
Marlene Trump, the newly installed president of the University of Vermont, told the Senate Appropriations Committee that the university is asking the state to help complete a long‑stalled multipurpose center and to sustain student aid and rural‑health programs.
Trump said UVM's formal requests align with the governor's budget: a 3% inflationary increase to the university's general‑fund appropriation to preserve need‑based student aid and tuition support for Vermont students; a five‑year commitment of $1 million per year to the UVM Cancer Center to expand care in rural communities; and continued support for extension programming across all 14 counties.
Why it matters: Trump framed the requests as investments in access, workforce and rural health. She told senators that nearly half of in‑state undergraduates attend tuition‑free under current eligibility rules and that state support helps the university keep education affordable for Vermont families.
Details and project history: Trump reviewed the multipurpose center's trajectory, saying the board approved and funded the project; work began, foundations were poured and steel purchased before the pandemic forced a pause. "The project cost has escalated so much," she said, and finishing the project now requires about $101 million in additional funding. Trump said the university had already invested more than $70 million into the project and that private commitments have reappeared after the governor's announced support.
On private support, Trump named recent donor commitments: she said the estate of Rich Terrence (recently deceased) had sons who committed up to $15–20 million, and that philanthropist Chuck Davis pledged to match the Terrence estate contribution. Trump said she was traveling to meet potential international donors to raise the remainder and that if fundraising covers the shortfall, students would not face additional fees to finish the project.
Funding source and committee questions: Committee members asked whether proposed state support would come from the higher education trust fund rather than the general fund; a committee member noted the trust fund as the governor's suggested source. Trump confirmed the governor's proposal and said additional donor fundraising is expected to be part of the financing plan.
Scholarships and conditions: When asked whether scholarships carry a service requirement (for example, requiring nursing scholarship recipients to work in Vermont for a set period), Trump said UVM does not require such a commitment. "We don't have that requirement," she said, but added that many students "really want to stay in Vermont." Trump also described a recent $16 million estate gift designated for nursing scholarships.
What comes next: The presentation served as an information and request briefing to the appropriations panel. Trump said the university's board was reviewing its strategic plan that week; she and staff will continue fundraising and follow up with committee staff on budget detail and timelines.