It could be a long session at the General Assembly for Indiana’s colleges.
During a State Budget Committee meeting Thursday, Sen. Luke Kenley told Purdue University and Ivy Tech Community College that convincing lawmakers that hundreds of millions worth capital projects should be funded will be a tough sell.
Both schools are sticking to a performance-based funding model to request state tax dollars for general expenses, but they also want substantial help to build facilities and expand programs. During the committee hearing for the 2013-15 biennium at the Statehouse, presidents of each school touted their success and difficulties faced because of a lack of funding.
“Well, I guess this is the time of year to think big and dream big,” said Kenley, a Noblesville Republican, about the requests. “But as we get into crunch time, there is going to need to be some pretty good justifications. I just don’t see the economy moving forward strong enough to make it possible for us to be all things for all people.”
Kenley said the funding pool also could be reduced if Gov.-elect Mike Pence gets his way in cutting Indiana’s personal income tax rate by 10 percent.
Purdue is requesting $313.4 million in operating appropriations systemwide for each of the next two years. That is a $1.1 million, or 0.3 percent, increase from present funding levels. The increase was possible because of Purdue’s performance in the funding metric designed by the Commission for Higher Education.
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Ivy Tech is expected to receive the biggest budget increase. If appropriations from the previous year remain flat, Ivy Tech support will increase $14.8 million in 2013-15 based on performance funding.
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