Major cuts to higher education in proposed state budget

The Missouri House passed a $27 billion state budget Thursday the day before the congressional deadline.

The budget for the fiscal year starting in July is now in review in the state Senate and will then move on to Gov. Eric Greitens.

In the current proposal, public universities and colleges across the state would take a major cut to funding.

“The governor’s recommendation cut a little over 9 percent from all the institutions in the state,” said Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick, the chair of the House budget committee. “The budget that the general assembly has passed restores that to a 6.5 percent cut from last year.”

That translates to roughly a $64 million cut to higher education institutions across the state, according to Fitzpatrick.

The expected cut to the University of Missouri System would equal about $29.5 million, according to John Fougere, a spokesman for the UM System.