Budget may cut state colleges' funding
Simon van Zuylen-Wood
Issue date: 3/4/08 Section: Metro
While Brown has finally agreed to supplant its loan-based financial aid program to reduce student debt, Rhode Island's three public colleges may have to raise tuition and reduce aid in response to proposed cuts in state aid.
Gov. Donald Carcieri's '65 proposed budget for the 2009 fiscal year includes $17.8 million cut in funding for the University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College and the Community College of Rhode Island.
Carcieri proposed a massive budget cut in January to slash the state's growing deficit - projected to be $151 million by the end of the 2008 fiscal year, which ends June 30, and up to $384 million by the end of the 2009 fiscal year.
The original bill, proposed in mid-January, also proposed cuts in state aid to local cities and towns, state employee layoffs, an "early leave" policy for prisoners and less aid to health and food services programs.
But Carcieri decided not to go through with a funding cut for programs for the mentally disabled. This change comes in the wake of a protest at the State House last Wednesday.
Before the new budget was proposed, state colleges had already increased tuition for the fiscal year starting this July by about six percent from this fiscal year. URI's tuition was set at $8,678, RIC's at $5,552 and CCRI's at $3000.
If the new budget passes, the rates may be raised 6 or 7 percent more than was planned, bringing the total tuition increase to more than 12 percent in the 2009 fiscal year, said Rhode Island Commissioner of Higher Education Jack Warner.
The bill has a few months to go before the Rhode Island General Assembly and Senate can vote on it, said State Rep. David Segal, D-Dist. 2. The budget plan for the 2008 fiscal year and 2009 fiscal year must pass Finance Committee Hearings before it is voted upon by the state legislature. Segal forecasted a late spring date for a possible vote on the new budget plan.
"We already support public education less than many other states," said Segal, who opposes the bill.
Gov. Donald Carcieri's '65 proposed budget for the 2009 fiscal year includes $17.8 million cut in funding for the University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College and the Community College of Rhode Island.
Carcieri proposed a massive budget cut in January to slash the state's growing deficit - projected to be $151 million by the end of the 2008 fiscal year, which ends June 30, and up to $384 million by the end of the 2009 fiscal year.
The original bill, proposed in mid-January, also proposed cuts in state aid to local cities and towns, state employee layoffs, an "early leave" policy for prisoners and less aid to health and food services programs.
But Carcieri decided not to go through with a funding cut for programs for the mentally disabled. This change comes in the wake of a protest at the State House last Wednesday.
Before the new budget was proposed, state colleges had already increased tuition for the fiscal year starting this July by about six percent from this fiscal year. URI's tuition was set at $8,678, RIC's at $5,552 and CCRI's at $3000.
If the new budget passes, the rates may be raised 6 or 7 percent more than was planned, bringing the total tuition increase to more than 12 percent in the 2009 fiscal year, said Rhode Island Commissioner of Higher Education Jack Warner.
The bill has a few months to go before the Rhode Island General Assembly and Senate can vote on it, said State Rep. David Segal, D-Dist. 2. The budget plan for the 2008 fiscal year and 2009 fiscal year must pass Finance Committee Hearings before it is voted upon by the state legislature. Segal forecasted a late spring date for a possible vote on the new budget plan.
"We already support public education less than many other states," said Segal, who opposes the bill.