State lawmakers will have $300 million less to give to state agencies for fiscal year 2016. But with everyone expected to make further cuts, the state regents for higher education will ask the legislature for nearly $99 million more — a 10 percent boost from last fiscal year to a total of almost $1.1 billion dollars.
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Chancellor Glen Johnson said every dollar of the additional $98.7 million they’re asking for will go toward goals under Oklahoma’s Complete College America plan. That falls in line with Gov. Mary Fallin’s goal of increasing Oklahomans’ educational attainment.
Johnson said $88 million will be for things contributing to degree completion.
"These are system-wide numbers, but we’ve requested an additional 516 course sections, where students can take the courses they need to graduate on time at our colleges and universities and not be delayed and have to wait longer, thus delaying their graduation and entry into the job market," Johnson said. "Uh, 219 additional online courses. We are involved in online education in a major way in Oklahoma, and we’re one of the few states … where we are developing a system-wide plan to remove the barriers for online education.
"And, finally, an additional 69 faculty positions in targeted areas where there is high demand from both students and from employers."
Johnson added these things aren’t really optional.
"If we’re going to be competitive, the other states we’re competing with have put new dollars into college degree completion," he said.
Student advising is another service Johnson said will benefit from increased funding, especially for veterans, "where those individuals who have sacrificed a lot can get back, get into the collegiate environment, and earn their degree and get on with their lives."
Freshmen who could use financial guidance would also benefit.
"We see instances, unfortunately, where students will rack up so much credit card debt their first year that they have to drop out just to pay their credit cards," Johnson said.
The regents will put $1.2 million toward increasing concurrent enrollment. Johnson said the program works well, citing an increase in credit hours earned from 29,000 in 2004 to 106,000 last year.
"Juniors and seniors in high school who take courses for college credit — if you think about it, a student, before they ever set foot physically on a college campus, can have their first year of college in the bank, if you will," he said. "Additionally, it gets them in a mindset of understanding they can compete at the collegiate level and do that well."
And $500,000 will go toward summer academies and other programs state schools sponsor to promote science, technology, engineering and math, which Johnson said supports the governor’s STEM initiative.
"Where students as early as the seventh and eighth grade can get into these academies during the summer, and the light bulb will turn on and they will understand and see the value and the importance of earning their degree in one of the STEM areas," Johnson said.
The final piece of the regents’ budget request is $8.7 million to pay obligations under the 2005 Higher Education Capital Bond Issue. In 2010, the legislature refinanced it to get better interest rates and lower payments for several years.
Starting in fiscal year 2014, the payments went up, and the regents are out of reserves and credits to put toward the debt.
"We have had discussions with the governor’s budget director, Preston Doerflinger, and also the pro tem and speaker, and everyone understands that this is a long-term commitment, but it doesn’t mean we don’t need to keep it on the agenda and push for it," Johnson said.
Johnson knows more money for higher education is far from a certainty, however.
"Oil prices are declining, so the challenge is going to be a lot tougher than it was, obviously, three months ago," he said. "That doesn’t mean we don’t need to continue to do what we’re doing. We need to continue to make the case for the importance of funding higher education this year."
The state’s educators will start finding out how well they made their case in less than three weeks, when the legislature convenes.
