As the legislative session nears its closure in the next couple of days, I would like to inform you of what Utah Valley University is facing in terms of receiving state funding.
As many students know, due to the current “structural imbalance” of $313 million dollars, the Utah Legislature was recently looking at passing a budget in which all institutions of higher education would receive a 7 percent cut from last year’s budget. Although there is much speculation that cuts will not be as deep as initially proposed, we are still likely to face a substantial loss of funding.
This budget cut could not have come at a worse time. UVU currently receives the least amount of its budget from tax dollars in the Utah System of Higher Education. With state support sitting at 42 percent, all other institutions are enjoying a subsidy rate at much higher percentages. In addition, UVU has grown by 9,365 students in the last four years. This represents a 40 percent increase.
We are essentially running on the bare minimum needed to run an institution of our caliber; further cuts would most likely affect the quality of our education and the resources available to us.
For students, however, the impact that a budget cut could have will be on our wallets. As communicated in the recent tuition proposal, we could be seeing tuition increases from four to nine percent ($73-$165 per semester).
In an effort to achieve better funding for UVU, I encourage students to write or email their representatives. How can we expect our legislators to represent us when they don’t hear from us? We can make a difference if we let our voices be heard. I urge each and every student to participate in this movement.
-Nefi Acosta, UVUSA Chief Justice
For more information, go to the Facebook page titled “Less Budget Cuts and More Funding For UVU! Let Your Voice Be Heard”, or contact Nefi at neeftime@gmail.com
